AWCF shares its FK project learning in Singapore

AWCF, through its representatives Ms Salome Ganibe (left in photo below), AWCF Executive Director, and Ms Natchamon Thali (right in photo below), from the Credit Union League of Thailand (CULT), an AWCF member-organization, were among the resource persons in the “FORUM IVCO (International Volunteer Cooperation Organizations) 2010” conference held October 3-6, 2010 in Furuma City Centre Hotel, Singapore. With the theme “Innovations and Challenges in International Volunteerism and Development–an Asian Perspective,” the conference discussed key contemporary issues besetting volunteer-driven development projects. The conference was organized by the International FORUM on Development Service (FORUM)—the most significant global network of IVCO, and the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), a non-profit organization in Singapore. The FORUM aims to share information, develop good practice, and enhance cooperation and support between its members. In this annual conference, heads of IVCOs and delegates from agencies across the world gather to discuss key and current issues in international volunteering and development, and share good practices in a supportive environment.

In two forums (plenary session and world café) of the October conference, AWCF expounded on its learning and experiences from its exchange program partnership project being implemented since 2008 with Fredskorpset (FK) Norway.

In the plenary session, Ms Ganibe together with Ms Nita Kapoor, Director of FK, talked about FK Norway’s exchange program as the reciprocal model to volunteer work wherein volunteers/exchange participants exchange knowledge and skills through learning and teaching. Ms Ganibe and Ms Kapoor emphasized that this exchange approach encourages national and regional networking because partner organizations themselves administer the project and the funds. Thus mutual accountability and equitable partnership are promoted in volunteer work. Benefits derived from this approach will redound not only to the exchange program participants but also to their host and home organizations.

These concepts were reiterated in the world café of the conference, as benefits derived by the participating organizations and individuals were further explained by Ms Ganibe and Ms Thali, the latter having been an AWCF-FK participant in the first round (2008-2009) of the exchange program, now on its third round. Ms Thali stressed in her sharing at the conference that skills acquired and shared during the exchange program can be stepping stones to future career advancement.