Conducting a national consultation workshop on volunteerism in Timor-Leste

The Australian Volunteers Program in Timor-Leste, together with other international and local volunteer agencies and government stakeholders, successfully conducted a National Consultation Workshop on Volunteerism. This 2-day workshop was key in advancing Timor-Leste’s recognition of volunteering through the creation of a government body to maintain coordination of efforts in national volunteering.

Over 70 participants were present, including the Secretary of State for Youth and Sport and other government officials, leaders of international and local volunteering agencies, members of the academy and youth from different organizations in Timor-Leste.

This is also the start of creating networks in the region starting with Timor-Leste and Philippine Governments. The Executive Director of the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency presented the history, legal framework, challenges, and recommendations that are vital to the creation of Timor-Leste’s own government agency to work in promoting and mainstreaming volunteering

This Innovation Hub activity fits under the Global Volunteering Accelerator workstream. This work explores how the Australian Volunteers Program might effectively partner to support national and local volunteering with governments and peak bodies, which could be replicated in different countries and contexts.