HUMANITARIANISM AND VOLUNTEERISM

David Hii Khie Siong, Medical Student UKM

CONTENT

• Volunteerism • Definition • Aim • Activities • What is and what’s not

• Humanitarianism• Definition • Origin of Word • Aim • Activities • What is and what’s not

• Difference between humanitarian and volunteerism

Volunteers are not paid – not because they are worthless , but because

they are priceless VOLUNTEERISM-DEFINITION

• Volunteerism is defined as: • Principle and practise of Volunteering

• Volunteering is defined as : • To choose to act in recognition of a need, with an attitude of social responsibility and  without

concern for monetary profit, going beyond one's basic obligations. 

Susan J., Katherine. (2005) By The People - A History of Americans as Volunteers, New Century Edition

• An “individual who performs hours of service… for civic, charitable, or humanitarian reasons, without promise, expectation or receipt of compensation for services rendered.” – Department of Labour

VOLUNTEERISM- AIM

• To the society/target • Generally, promote goodness or improve human quality of life.• Freedom from Want- Right to an adequate standard of living

• focuses on the themes of development, governance, gender and employment

• Freedom from Fear • mitigating the impact of socio-economic disasters, both man-made and natural

• Sustaining the Future• Fields of health, population, HIV/AIDS and the environment

UNV (2001)-Volunteering and the United Nations System

• To the volunteer •  Feeling of self-worth and respect.• Self-actualization • Skills credit, tax credit, education credit and etc.

"The third is freedom from want—which, translated into world terms, means economic understandings which will secure to every nation a healthy peacetime life for its inhabitants—everywhere in the world."—Franklin Delano Roosevelt's January 6, 1941, State of the Union

VOLUNTEERISM-TYPES

1. Formal service delivery, meaning the provision of a service to a third party.• It normally takes place through existing structures encompassing a broad range of social, cultural and

development fields. • Example: building of low cost houses; care and support for people with HIV/AIDS; the spread of

information about using bed nets against malaria; the teaching of basic literacy skills; and participation in school parent associations.

2. Mutual Aid • self- help when people with shared needs problems, interest, join forces to address them. • Example: youth-led youth clubs, women’s associations and HIV/AIDS support groups

3. Civic participation • Citizen has the means to actively engage in the public sphere, including political processes• Example: lobbying local authorities to provide street lightning, waste disposal or safe drinking water or

campaigning; to prevent a private company from building a pollution-spewing processing plant in the vicinity.

Volunteerism is Universal -An extract from the 2011 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report

VOLUNTEERISM- TYPES

1. Direct service to another individual • Mentoring a child or spending time with the elderly

2. It can be geared toward the general public good• Caring for the environment. • It can be as short term as serving food for a day at a neighbourhood soup kitchen • Can be as long term as committing to an ongoing tutoring program.

VOLUNTEERISM-ACTIVITIES

Examples of Volunteer Activities:

• Visit to HIV Shelter • Cleaning up the shelter • Celebration of birthday • Playing with the children.

• Health screening • Bp Measurement • BMI measurement • Consultation and referral

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

• Fundraising Volunteer

• Visit to Old Folks Home

• Event Organising, marketing, campaigning and public speaking.

• Teaching session volunteer – Classroom support

• Tutoring for free

• Working in a disadvantaged area

• OR, most easily, joining the volunteer organization.

VOLUNTEERISM-FULFILMENT CRITERIA

• Three criteria of free will, non-pecuniary motivation, and benefit to others1. Action should be carried out voluntarily, according to an individual’s own free will.

• May be influenced by peer pressure, personal values or cultural or social obligations but the individual must be able to choose whether or not to act.

• Not as an obligation stipulated by law, contract or academic requirement.

2. Action should not be undertaken primarily for financial reward. • Some reimbursement for expenses or stipend-type payments, or payments in kind such as provision of meals

and transport, may be justified.

3. Action should be for the common good.

United Nations General Assembly in 2001

VOLUNTEERISM-WHAT’S NOT & WHAT IS

• Considered as volunteer : • Medical students visiting old folks home on their own initiative and help with cleaning the old

folks home, doing bp screening, inspection of limbs for ulcer and teaching foot inspection and right way to cut finger nails.

• Visiting the prison and stranger prisoner and help them in term of social adapting. • Etc.

• Not consider as volunteer: • Getting regular pay check and is under legal protection of minimum wage, maximum working

hours and others. • Internship • Doing something which one suppose to do such as visiting their own relative in hospital or in

prison

HUMANITARIANISM

HUMANITARIANISM- DEFINITION

• Humanitarianism ~ • There is no single accepted definition of humanitarianism.

Minn, P. (2007, August 6). Toward an Anthropology of Humanitarianism.

• The principle and practise of humanitarian. • Concern welfare of humanity, especially in acting to improve the living conditions of  impoverished 

people.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

• Acceptance of every human being for plainly just being another human, ignoring and abolishing biased social views, prejudice, and racism in the process.

• No distinction is to be made in the face of suffering or abuse on grounds of gender, sexual orientation, tribe, caste, age, religion, ability, or nationality.

HUMANITARIANISM- ORIGIN

• Humanitarianism usually contains two common elements: 1. A reference to “humans” or “humanity,” and a relational element. 2. Often associated with Christian traditions of altruism and charity

• This emphasis may obscure its place as a “common heritage of humankind (Isaac, 1993: 14).”Minn, P. (2007, August 6). Toward an Anthropology of Humanitarianism.

• Humanitarianism • Humanitarian

• Humanity - humaneness; benevolence, kindness.• hūmānitās -  Latin origin – kindness, human nature, civilazation

HUMANITARIANISM- AIM

• Save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human dignity• During and in the aftermath of man-made crises and natural disasters

• Prevent and strengthen preparedness for the occurrence of such situations

• Protect the human right as stated in Universal Declaration of Human right

UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHT

• Article 1.- All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

• Article 2.- Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

• Article 3.- Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

• Article 4.- No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

• Article 5.- No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

CONVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD

• Article 1 (Definition of the child): The Convention defines a 'child' as a person below the age of 18, unless the laws of a particular country set the legal age for adulthood younger. The Committee on the Rights of the Child, the monitoring body for the Convention, has encouraged States to review the age of majority if it is set below 18 and to increase the level of protection for all children under 18.

• Article 2 (Non-discrimination): The Convention applies to all children, whatever their race, religion or abilities; whatever they think or say, whatever type of family they come from. It doesn’t matter where children live, what language they speak, what their parents do, whether they are boys or girls, what their culture is, whether they have a disability or whether they are rich or poor. No child should be treated unfairly on any basis.

• Article 4 (Protection of rights): Governments have a responsibility to take all available measures to make sure children’s rights are respected, protected and fulfilled. When countries ratify the Convention, they agree to review their laws relating to children. This involves assessing their social services, legal, health and educational systems, as well as levels of funding for these services. Governments are then obliged to take all necessary steps to ensure that the minimum standards set by the Convention in these areas are being met. They must help families protect children’s rights and create an environment where they can grow and reach their potential. In some instances, this may involve changing existing laws or creating new ones. Such legislative changes are not imposed, but come about through the same process by which any law is created or reformed within a country. Article 41 of the Convention points out the when a country already has higher legal standards than those seen in the Convention, the higher standards always prevail.

• Article 6 (Survival and development): Children have the right to live. Governments should ensure that children survive and develop healthily.

• Article 18 (Parental responsibilities; state assistance): Both parents share responsibility for bringing up their children, and should always consider what is best for each child. Governments must respect the responsibility of parents for providing appropriate guidance to their children – the Convention does not take responsibility for children away from their parents and give more authority to governments. It places a responsibility on governments to provide support services to parents, especially if both parents work outside the home.

• Article 23 (Children with disabilities): Children who have any kind of disability have the right to special care and support, as well as all the rights in the Convention, so that they can live full and independent lives.

• Article 24 (Health and health services): Children have the right to good quality health care – the best health care possible – to safe drinking water, nutritious food, a clean and safe environment, and information to help them stay healthy. Rich countries should help poorer countries achieve this.

• Article 25 (Review of treatment in care): Children who are looked after by their local authorities, rather than their parents, have the right to have these living arrangements looked at regularly to see if they are the most appropriate. Their care and treatment should always be based on “the best interests of the child”. (see Guiding Principles, Article 3)

• Article 26 (Social security): Children – either through their guardians or directly – have the right to help from the government if they are poor or in need.

• Article 27 (Adequate standard of living): Children have the right to a standard of living that is good enough to meet their physical and mental needs. Governments should help families and guardians who cannot afford to provide this, particularly with regard to food, clothing and housing.

• Article 28: (Right to education): All children have the right to a primary education, which should be free. Wealthy countries should help poorer countries achieve this right. Discipline in schools should respect children’s dignity. For children to benefit from education, schools must be run in an orderly way – without the use of violence. Any form of school discipline should take into account the child's human dignity. Therefore, governments must ensure that school administrators review their discipline policies and eliminate any discipline practices involving physical or mental violence, abuse or neglect. The Convention places a high value on education. Young people should be encouraged to reach the highest level of education of which they are capable.

• Article 29 (Goals of education): Children’s education should develop each child’s personality, talents and abilities to the fullest. It should encourage children to respect others, human rights and their own and other cultures. It should also help them learn to live peacefully, protect the environment and respect other people. Children have a particular responsibility to respect the rights their parents, and education should aim to develop respect for the values and culture of their parents.

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HUMANITARIAN ACTIVITIES

• “Zones of peace” and humanitarian aids to the men, women and children who are trapped in midst of war by international federation Red Cross and Red Crescent Society.

• Reconstruction of property and infrastructure after disaster.

• Preventing human casualties and ensuring access to the basics for survival: water, sanitation, food, shelter, and health care in the war.

• Famine relieve by World Food Programme(WFP)

FULFILMENT CRITERIA- PRINCIPLE OF

HUMANITARIANISM • The four principle of Humanitarianism :

• Humanity – saving human lives and alleviating suffering wherever it is found• Impartiality – acting solely on the basis of need, without discrimination between or within

affected populations• Neutrality – acting without favouring any side in an armed conflict or other dispute where such

action is carried out• Independence – the autonomy of humanitarian objectives from the political, economic, military

or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented.

Mackintosh Kate. (March 2005). The Principles of Humanitarian Action in International Humanitarian Law

WHAT IS AND WHAT’S NOT HUMANITARIANISM

• What’s not Humanitarianism • Helping the war victim on the basis of nationality, race or religion. • Using the reason of humanitarianism to intervene in the policy of other country – colonization. • Exchange of money, employment, goods, or services for sex, including sexual favours or other

forms of humiliating, degrading or exploitative behaviour”

• What is Humanitarianism • Save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain and protect human right • Fulfil the four principle of humanitarianism

VOLUNTEERISM AND HUMANITARIANISM- WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE ?

• The main difference : • Volunteer is more of a charity and humanitarianism is not. Humanitarianism is carried out to

protect the human right of a person in need.

• However, they have more in common : • Humanitarian aids and activities needs volunteers, lots of volunteers. • Volunteer and humanitarian are both contributing to the society and make the world a better

place.

THANK YOU

Any questions ?

REFERENCE

• Volunteerism • http://www.unv.org/fileadmin/docdb/unv/pdf/VolunteeringUNSystem_engl.pdf• Susan J., Katherine. (2005) By The People - A History of Americans as Volunteers, New Century

Edition• Minn, P. (2007, August 6). Toward an Anthropology of Humanitarianism.• Universal Declaration of Human Right, United Nation• Mackintosh Kate. (March 2005). The Principles of Humanitarian Action in International

Humanitarian Law• http://www.unicef.org/crc/files/Rights_overview.pdf