Sydney celebrates AVI milestone
18 November 2011
NSW returned volunteers, partner organisations and supporters gathered to celebrate 60 years of international volunteering at the Australian Museum in Sydney on 14 November.
The audience, consisting of RVs and partners including Macquarie University, ANZ, Sydney University, Safe Motherhood For All and Pacific Family Planning Association, listened to the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP deliver the keynote address in which she acknowledged the significant impact that AVI volunteers have made over the past 60 years.
“We have seen AVI grow into a mature, yet dynamic organisation-with extensive international networks, and a strong reputation as an experienced agency,” Ms Plibersek said.
“Volunteers with AVI have made a significant impact across the globe – making valuable contributions to sustainable development, cross cultural understanding and poverty reduction.”
Returned volunteer and former AVI Chair of the Board, Prof Bob Meyenn, spoke passionately about his experience volunteering 47 years ago in the Solomon Islands and said how volunteering changed him in a way that nothing else can.
“The privilege of being a volunteer is that it makes you see the world differently,” Prof Meyenn said.
Returned volunteer Ruth Bearpark shared her most significant story from her volunteering but explained that it was extremely hard to choose just one of so many stories that encompass her amazing volunteer experience.
“I am very privileged and honoured to be part of that global network of volunteering,” Ms Bearpark said.
Ruth felt that as a volunteer she was not going over as an individual person to her posting but instead brought a whole community of people to engage with the experience. This was emphasised in her story about how she needed to obtain and distribute condoms for her work as a Capacity Building Coordinator in HIV/AIDS.
AVI CEO, Dimity Fifer, closed the formal proceeding with a story about how volunteering is making the decision to stand along side a person from another country and share their struggle.
Ms Fifer thanked the 9000 volunteers for their commitment over the past 60 years and said, “You have made a huge difference and that is the measure of success for AVI.”
Photo: Hon Tanya Plibersek MP (left) and AVI CEO Dimity Fifer.