Volunteering is a vocation
The modern world is saturated with stresssituations associated not only with natural phenomena, but also with the peculiarities of society. Trouble is an international concept, not limited to the framework of one people. She comes unexpectedly, and there is hardly a house where she would not look. We can not always cope with it on our own or alone. And then volunteering comes to the rescue. This movement is widespread all over the world, it has no nationality, is not divided by class, does not have political coloring, does not take into account preferences in religion.
The main thing - to choose the form of assistance to which youare able. This may be coordination activities in charity events (promotions, concerts, festivals), technical (take-bring, help visit a doctor, purchase medicines and devices), documentation (translations into foreign languages, medical documentation, visa documents) or any other assistance people or animals needed at one time or another. Particularly prevalent is such a field of activity as social volunteering - assistance to the older generation (pensioners, veterans of labor and military operations), childcare facilities, and children suffering from various diseases.
Volunteering abroad
The adult population of the world has volunteersranging from 20% and above. For example, in Europe - 22.5%, in the USA - 27%, and in Austria up to 36%. Activities abroad are familiarity with the culture, way of life of the country, the way of life of the local population, the study of their language (understanding of a living language and fluent speech).
At the end of the last century (data from 1998) 109 million people worldwide participated in volunteering. In Germany, about 40% of the population went through a volunteer school. The United States from the federal budget allocates through a specialized agency about $ 6 billion a year for volunteering. At least once in life, 19% of the French adult population took part in volunteer actions. Charitable activities are carried out in the region of Israel, in a region where the study of the Middle East and North Africa is available.
Australia - a special country in partvolunteering. Free volunteer programs are a distinctive feature of this country, where you can apply your efforts not only to save you from disasters, but also as an agrovolonter. Anyone can apply for a visa (for 3 months, 1 year, more than 1 year) to travel to Australia to work on a voluntary basis, study and participate in free volunteer projects to protect nature (rescue endangered animals, marine life, for example turtles), promoting ecotourism.
Volunteering is primarily aid innatural disasters, man-made disasters in megalopolises and industries, environmental disasters as the consequences of human life on our planet. It helps worldwide in healthcare, business, teaching at school, building community centers and homes, animal hospitals, working on the farm and in the garden. UN Secretary-General Kofi Anan called volunteering the ultimate expression of the main purpose of the existence of the United Nations. The European Parliament (EU) is also engaged in promoting cross-border volunteering. According to 2012 data, 5% of the EU's GDP is generated in the activities of 100 million European volunteers.
Volunteering in Russia
Russian society did not stand aside inthe issue of volunteering. Altruistic motifs, perhaps, are by nature embedded in the nature of the Russian people. In fact, serfdom is volunteering, that is, free work for food and lodging. In the 19th century, urban guardianship services for the poor were established under which volunteers worked. In the Soviet period, volunteering is the development of virgin soil, the construction of BAM, harvesting, work on subbotniks.
Russian parliament worried about fatevolunteers. To reward lovers to do good deeds, it was decided to develop an appropriate bill to give volunteers legal status and raise their social status in order to legalize volunteer activities, and also equate it to alternative service in the army. According to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, working as an orderly, a builder, a postman, etc., it will be possible to undergo AGS, an alternative civilian service.
The scope of volunteering activities replenishedbudget funds with a sparing taxation, and volunteers and activists will receive various benefits (when passing the USE, when entering educational institutions, references when choosing a place of work, social benefits).
People satisfying the universalthe needs of others, solving global integration and environmental problems, are healthier than all other earthlings. English scientists have provided volunteer mortality statistics, which is 20% lower than usual. Free aid and spontaneous kindness not only prolong life, but also strengthen mental health. Public figure and writer Henry David Thoreau (USA) called human kindness the only robe that is not subject to dilapidation. Wearing such clothes is a great merit and honor.
