As part of the 21st IAVE Youth Volunteer Conference 2011, over 300 youths, leaders, volunteers and experts from different regions around the world gathered at Singapore Management University (SMU) last night on Jan 21.

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Wasting no timeto get to the point, Mr Laurence Lien, CEO of the National Volunteer & Philanthrophy Centre (NVPC), said in his opening speech, “We have really messed up this world.”

Calling out to the youths in attendance, he added, “The world is wealthier but we have more poorer persons… We are more advanced in knowledge and technology but are also unhappier. We are able to travel to experience the beauty of our planet much more except that it’s getting uglier by the day. All of you here have the potential to lead changes to address this issues.”

To take place over a span of 3 days from Jan 21 to Jan 23, the youth conference aims to be a platform for youth delegates to meet, network and exchange their knowledge and experiences on volunteerism.

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Youths and leaders letting their wishes take flight at the Youth Volunteer Conference

Founded in 1970, IAVE, the International Association for Volunteer Effort, connects volunteers and organisations around the world in a bid to promote and strengthen the development of volunteerism. To date, it is a global network with members in over 70 countries worldwide, including national representatives and volunteer centres.

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On the topic of trends in youth volunteerism, Mr Mark Malloy, of IAVE Youth Board, said to UrbanWire, “I think the last 2 to 3 years has seen a major change in the number of people volunteering online… we are moving away from the traditional volunteer setting where young people may go to a hospital or a charity show or something they can physically to go to… We are seeing much more of a trend where people are able to help out from home”.

Many key speakers also cited the accessibility of information in this age as a major advantage for youths to lead volunteerism efforts.

Several distinguished guests such as Mr Teo Ser Luck, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Ministry of Transport; Mayor, North East District; Dr. Kang-Hyun Lee, IAVE World President, and Mr. Efren G. Peñaflorida, Jr., the founder of Dynamic Teen Company, also attended the event.

Youth delegates in Singapore this week, will undergo a plenary session, workshops or forums under 5 different focus tracks – Leadership Development, Strategic Planning, Project Management, Building Networks, Resource Development. They will also participate in local voluntary work at various beneficiaries as part of conference activities.

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From left to right: Dr. Eugen Baldas (Mentor), Jerry and Johannes from Germany

Said Jerry, 20, about what he hoped to gain from the event, “We want to know about the volunteer projects [in other countries] and what exactly are they doing… I get an experience when I go abroad, I get the language skills, skills to work with other people, learn about their cultures and way of life.”

“We get a lot back in return, I think we get more than we can give,” added his friend, Johannes, 17.

The IAVE Youth Volunteer Conference 2011 is an affiliated event of the IAVE World Volunteer Conference, which will take place from Jan 24 to Jan 27.

m:idea is the official youth media for the IAVE Youth Volunteer Conference.
All photos are courtesy of Dinesh from Klix Photography.