2004 Speeches

Volunteerism - A Private-Public Partnership for Development

April 1, 2004

Dr. Roy L. Austin
United States Ambassador
Cascadia Hotel

Welcome to: Mr. Olutemi Lugbemi, United Nations Development Program; Mr. Gregory Aboud, President of the Downtown Owners and Merchants Association; Mr. Matthew Clausen, Vice President, Washington, DC Office of Partners of the Americas Partnership Development Office; Ms. Barbara Bloch, Director of Special Events and Consultant, Washington, DC Office of Partners of the Americas Partnership Development Office; members of the Partners Chapters in New York, Central New York, New Jersey Partners and Mississippi Partners; regional Chapter Representatives from Antigua & Barbuda Partners, Dominican Republic Partners, Grenada Partners, Guyana Partners, Jamaica Partners, Montserrat Partners, St. Lucia Partners, St. Vincent & the Grenadines Partners; and the coordinators of this week's activities - the Trinidad Partners.

So many great minds, so much good work - I applaud you for all that you must certainly have done during your membership in these great organizations. Please give yourselves a round of applause for coming together this day.

Two days ago, I noticed some heartwarming statements in Dr. David Bratt's column in a local newspaper. Here is what he said: "Then there were the volunteers. Anyone who says young people dread should have been there. Special Olympics, like all NGOs could not function without volunteers and the majority of them are teenagers. There were as many teenage volunteers as special athletes."

Dr. Bratt mentioned some 50 other volunteers, "including dentists, ENT surgeons, physiotherapists, pediatricians, and audiologists," some from Puerto Rico and California. He also made the following comment: "The Healthy Athletes Program started in 1994, in the United States as you would expect, and now takes place in 160 countries, wherever disabled people are involved in Special Olympics."

I thank Dr. Bratt for remembering what so many people in the local media seem to have forgotten about America. We have provided examples to the world that make us all better human beings, examples that help to increase happiness for so many people; and the spirit of "volunteerism" that is so badly needed in today's world is alive and well in America. I shall attempt to justify this statement and account for Americans' extensive involvement in volunteering after addressing volunteering in the Caribbean.

Of course, Dr. Bratt reminds us that Caribbean people do provide service to others without any thought of being compensated. I know of no time when Caribbean people did not provide such service. When I was growing up in St. Vincent, there was a volunteer Fire Brigade. I think, too, of the many referees, umpires and officers of national sporting bodies who volunteered their services. Additionally, many volunteers held together organizations such as the Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, YWCA and Red Cross.

My own volunteer experiences before I left St. Vincent (soft shoe football referee and officer in the national Football Association) tells me that few volunteers, if any, desire or expect even the recognition of their efforts by others. I engaged in what I now regard as volunteer activities because my help was needed and I had the ability to assist.

However, during my undergraduate years in the United States I observed volunteering by students that far exceeded what I had seen in St. Vincent. Some students tutored young people from the surrounding community to improve their educational futures. Other students requested special permission to live off-campus in order to help organize rent strikes against landlords who were neglecting their apartments to the detriment of economically disadvantaged tenants. I have not to this day heard any of my friends who attended UWI, Mona, mention simi1ar volunteering at that fine university.

I suspect that egoism is more natural than the altruism that apparently motivates volunteerism. Therefore, we cannot attribute volunteerism to human nature. Instead, socialization must play an important role in explaining involvement in voluntary activities; and American educational institutions contribute to the making of volunteers.

My children's secondary school required two terms of community service for graduation. Also, some of the better tertiary institutions look favorably on applicants who have engaged in such activities. Additionally, you may be surprised to learn that at the Pennsylvania State University service to the University and the State is one criterion a faculty member must satisfy to be tenured or promoted.

The U.S. Government, too, promotes service by citizens to those who deserve it. In 2003, President Bush created USA Freedom Corps to coordinate volunteer efforts at home and abroad. The President called on Americans to give at least two years of their lives, 4000 hours, to service to others. The Corporation for National and Community Service, part of USA Freedom Corps provides opportunities to serve through three programs: Senior Corp which utilizes the skills and experience of older Americans; Americorp, many of, whose members serve one year with national non-profit and smaller community organizations and receive $4,725 to spend on their education; and Learn and Serve America that provides grants to educational institutions and non-profit groups to support students engaged in community service which advances their academic achievement and develop their civic skills.

Another US Government program is the US Global Technology Corps (USGTC), set up by the US Department of State. The US Government recognizes that many people in developing economies with little access to information technology blame American economic practices for existing ills. The USGTC brings together the American private sector and individual Americans to help the developing world with technology-focused projects which can strengthen democratic institutions and free-market economies.

I probably would feel unworthy to be addressing you about these service programs if I had not been a volunteer in the United States. Fortunately, I used my limited knowledge of football (soccer) to engage in volunteer youth coaching for about 17 years. I also am a founding member of my community's youth football club and served as a member of its executive and Board of Directors for many years. That club continues to function today, organizing opportunities for competitive football for youths from about age 6 through 18 years. The club sponsors indoor (winter) and outdoor age-group football teams throughout the year, organizes football camps, and takes teams to touman1ents. You can imagine my feeling of sadness when I realized a few weeks ago that a local mother has for several months been unsuccessful in finding a coach for her young daughter's football team.

I received no financial reward from coaching or other football related activities. Indeed, when a community recreation program tried to pay me for coaching youths on two separate occasions, I asked them to plough the money back into the program.

Shortly after I retired from coaching, I accepted an invitation to serve on the two major committees of our community's National Issues Forum (NIP). As I observed Trinidadians' frustration with a high and increasing crime rate, I have sometimes considered recommending to Mr. Aboud that his organization, DOMA, bring together a forum on crime that will use the NIP format. I never followed through because there seemed too great a likelihood that the forum would become politicized; and I might be accused of interfering in the internal affairs of this country.

Yet another service activity which I have enjoyed was advising three student groups. Among these groups was the Caribbean Students Association for whom I was Faculty Advisor for about 20 years.

People throughout the world agree that America is a developed country with many social and economic resources that far surpass those of other countries. Yet many Americans willingly volunteer to provide uncompensated service's to their communities, their state of residence and to their nation. This American culture of service and responsible citizenship has improved the lives of many Americans, those who give and those who receive. This culture has also motivated Americans to provide similar service abroad, thereby improving the lives of citizens of other countries.

If we agree that American domestic volunteering has increased the happiness of Americans, we may also agree that more volunteering by citizens of every country will do the same for their people. Furthermore, domestic volunteering can contribute to sustainable development, perhaps an important lesson to be learnt from the American experience. Let me, therefore, make bold to recommend that Caribbean people be encouraged to provide more voluntary service to their communities and nations as well as to the region. Importantly, Caribbean governments must recognize that environmental improvement. These governments must create entities like America's Corporation for National and Community Service to provide opportunities for their citizens of all ages to promote national development through volunteer services.

To the many volunteers in this audience, remain proud of your volunteering endeavors. May your circumstances allow you to serve for many more years; and thanks for giving me the courtesy of your attention.