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Dear Friends,
With this issue ICYE would like to contribute with its own
experiences to the debate of what is "Best Practice and Quality
in International Volunteering Programme" - a debate mostly
led by policy makers and practitioners, often with little
involvement by the participants themselves.
We hope that the views expressed by the ICYE volunteers,
provide good food for thought - beyond lip service and wishful
thinking - on what does make a difference, and is valued as a
enriching life experience for young people, who wish to serve
and learn about themselves and the world they live in.
The volunteers insights into what matters in youth non-formal
education and mobility programmes are candidly described
and best captured in the recognition that long-term volunteering
can be "A turning point in my life"; can help to realise that it is
"Better to give than Receive"; and that eventually experience is
always about "Their lives and mine", or as the poet Rimbaud
said "I am the Other"!
This thematic session concludes with an account of the first
results of the ICYE Federation's "Quality Assessment and
Assurance" process. The acknowledgment that quality is a
dynamic concept, and that ensuring quality is about recognizing
and meeting needs, has helped ICYE to act as a learning
organisation, which constantly needs to focus on change, and
to solicit and be open to critical assessment of its work by
volunteers and hosts.
News from International Organisations opens with a brief report
by the Director of ICYE Nigeria on the Hearings of the United
Nations General Assembly with NGOs, Civil Societies and
Private Sector, held at the UN HQs on 23-24 June 2005.
News about the UNESCO Youth Forum, the International Youth
Day, and online youth news services of the UN system, are
followed by NGOs news on the MDGs Youth Guide and Card
Games, and youth events such as the Young Words Happening
and the Travelling Seminar on Int'l Youth Movements.
The ICYE programme news feature a brief description of APAI,
ICYE's new member in Portugal, the partnership established
with FEVI in Ecuador, as well as briefings on a youth seminar
on "Gender based violence" and ICYE India Tsunami Camp.
While we wish you a good and interesting read, please note
that the next issue of "Worlds of Experience" , to be published
at the end of October 2005, will focus on "Young Volunteers
working with Children and Youth". Please email your
contributions, in form of articles/pictures, to icye@icye.org
before 30 September 2005.
Kindest regards!
ICYE International Office
"Worlds of Experience" can be viewed and downloaded as a
PDF
file.
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