Senator Averil Power and Dominic Hannigan TD get ready to Volunteer with VSO

28/07/2011 11:16:00

Leading development charity VSO yesterday launched its third ‘Politicians for Development Programme’.  Senator Averil Power (Fianna Fail) and Dominic Hannigan TD (Labour) are both volunteering to work with disadvantaged communities in Mozambique and The Philippines respectively during the political Summer Recess.  VSO fights poverty in 46 developing countries by bringing people together to share learning.      

Since 2008, VSO partner organisations in developing countries have asked for experts in lobbying, campaigning and advocacy techniques.  In response, Irish politicians have offered to volunteer their skills over a 2-3 week period.  In previous years, VSO political volunteers included Minister Lucinda Creighton and Minister Leo Varadkar, amongst others.

Senator Averil Power will continue essential work carried out by Dara Calleary TD last year in Mozambique with VSO, advising an alliance of volunteering organisations.  Thanks to Deputy Calleary’s inputs last Summer, a new law supporting volunteering was adopted by the Mozambican parliament last December.  Now Senator Power will work with civil society groups and politicians to help secure the full implementation of this law.

Speaking of her upcoming placement in Mozambique, new volunteer Averil said: 

"Local volunteers are providing vital services to families and communities in Mozambique. It is important to have the right legal and other supports in place to assist them. The new Mozambican law that my colleague Dara Calleary T.D. helped to develop last year was a major step forward. I will be doing my best to help secure the full implementation of this so that carers and other volunteers in Mozambique have the support they need.

I am also looking forward to learning about the work that VSO is doing on the ground in Mozambique and the positive difference that Irish volunteers have made there.”

Deputy Dominic Hannigan is volunteering with VSO for the third time, having worked as a Business Management Adviser in Mongolia in 2008 and an Advocacy Adviser with a Nepalese civil rights organisation named Blue Diamond Society in 2010.  This year, Deputy Hannigan will apply learning from the Irish peace process with a Filipino organisation, helping them promote peace-building solutions.

Speaking of this year's VSO placement, Dominic said: 

 “I was delighted to have recently been appointed as Chairman of the Good Friday Agreement Committee.  So now, to take Irish learning to The Philippines, will be a great opportunity.  Working with Filipino peace builders will be insightful.  There are mny things we can learn from other communities internationally, something VSO promotes.”

Malcolm Quigley, Director of VSO Ireland, is eager to promote volunteering amongst professionals. 

“We work with grassroots organisations in Africa and Asia who ask for help with campaigning and lobbying.  I believe our Irish politicians can add value in this area, but equally as important will be the learning they will bring back to Ireland. We now live in an inter-dependant world so sharing learning between countries is essential."

VSO’s high-impact, skilled volunteering approach involves bringing people together to share skills, build capabilities, promote international understanding and action, and change lives.

Editor's notes

• VSO works in non-emergency programmes at the rehabilitation stage of development.
• VSO is an international development charity that sends volunteers to work on placements in 46 countries globally.  See http://www.vso.ie/about/where-we-work for a map of all VSO countries.
• VSO is a recipient of Irish Aid funding, the development wing of the Department of Foreign Affairs. 
• VSO volunteers are professionals from the education, health and business sectors with at least 3 years’ professional experience.   
• The average age of a VSO volunteer is 41 and 33% of volunteers are over 50. 
• VSO is holding an Information Day for people interested in volunteering on Thursday 18 August @ 18h30 in their Dublin office.  See www.vso.ie  for more information.