Volunteers contribute to the capacity of host organisations, develop people-to-people links and generate goodwill for domestic and foreign public diplomacy. - Office of Development Effectiveness evaluation of AVID (Australian Volunteers for International Development), March 2014
International volunteering has a long history in Australia, originating in the 1950s as a means of fostering cultural understanding between Australian and Indonesian students.
In 1951, Australian Volunteers International (AVI) - which carry out continuous collaboration with the Australian government and has been the leader in international volunteering for more than 65 years - sent the world's first international volunteer, Herb Feith, to Jakarta.
63 years since the world's first international volunteer was sent to Jakarta, Mira Muliajati Lay too went to Jakarta under the AVI banner. From September 2014 to February 2016, Ms. Lay had been an Educational Program Advisor at the 'Yayasan Sahabat Anak', Jakarta. Not satisfied with just one period of volunteering, Ms. Lay continued her duty to volunteer this time as a Youth Program Advisor at 'Yayasan Cipta Mandiri', Bogor from June 2016 to April 2018.
15 years ago Mira Muliajati Lay arrived and settled in Australia. Then why did she - with a commerce management background - choose to volunteer and go to Indonesia when she has already had a steady job in Canberra?
Ms Lay said she had learnt valuable lessons during her volunteering vocation in Indonesia.
Mira Muliajati Lay (white t-shirt) had been doing 4 years of volunteering in Indonesia. Source: Sola Kreatif Media
(Mira Muliajati Lay) Source: Mira Muliajati Lay
(Sola Kreatif Media) Source: Sola Kreatif Media
(video credit: Sola Kreatif Media)
International Volunteer Day (IVD) is mandated by the UN General Assembly and held each year on 5 December.
This year, IVD celebrates volunteer efforts that strengthen local ownership and the resilience of the community in the face of natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks. The event on 5 December 2018 will focus on how volunteers can build resilient communities.
"The diverse and dynamic role of volunteerism in promoting the Sustainable Development Goals merits strong support from Governments and other stakeholders. On this International Day, I thank volunteers for their efforts to leave no one behind." — António Guterres, UN Secretary-General
Are you interested in sharing your knowledge with a foreign community? Visit Australian Volunteers program website for more information.
