Student Volunteers in Ethiopia

Pictured are Ethiopia bound NUI Galway student volunteers Siobhán Kennedy, Rahoon, Galway; Mark Gantly, Barna, Co. Galway; and Seán ó hIarnain, Inis Mór, Co. Galway.

A group of nine final year engineering students from NUI Galway depart for Ethiopia this week to volunteer for two months. The students, the majority of whom have studied Civil Engineering, will work on a house building project and also help with a literacy programme.

Siobhán Kennedy, from Rahoon in Galway City, is one of the NUI Galway students and is excited about the trip: “Ethiopia remains one of the world's poorest countries. As a group of graduate engineers we hope we can make a contribution to the house building project and assist the local people”.

The five young men and four women are headed for Bahir Dar, in the North of Ethiopia and will work with an ongoing programme overseen by the Daughters of Charity.

NUI Galway President Dr James J. Browne, commended the students: “Volunteering has become an integral part of student life at NUI Galway. Through our ALIVE volunteering programme, thousands of students volunteer their time and contribute significantly to community organisations every year. This group of students in particular should be commended for committing so much time to this worthwhile project in Ethiopia”.

The students found the volunteering opportunity through the Vincentian Lay Missionaries, which is part of a 400 year old tradition which began with St Vincent de Paul working in the France of his day to alleviate the dreadful circumstances of the poor.

NUI Galway Supports Galway Volvo Ocean Race Volunteers

Do you want to volunteer for an opportunity of a lifetime?!

Volunteer with Let's Do it Galway and welcome the Volvo Ocean Race to Galway!

When: Anytime you can give during the Stopover Event from the 23 May to the 6 June. If you can volunteer before or after the stopover you are very welcome too!

Where: Galway city centre and Salthill

What is it?

Volvo is a premier world-wide sporting event, which involves volunteers on many different levels (so you don’t need to be sporty!). The Volvo Ocean Race is the world's premier yacht race for professional racing crews. This is the 10th running of this ocean marathon series since it began life in 1973 as the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race and is one of the world's toughest sporting events.

The race started in Alicante in October 2008 and will span 37,000 nautical miles with Galway being the eight of eleven stopover Ports during the 9-month round the world race. Galway is the first Irish, and smallest ever host port, and as a city that knows how to throw a party, it will bring a unique flavour to the two week ‘stopover' from 23 May - 6 June 2009. Let's Do It Galway are planning a festival of water and land-based fun and festivities for all the family starting with the arrival of the 8 boat entries in the Volvo Ocean Race which includes Irelands ‘Green Dragon' on the weekend of 23 May.

Why Should I Get Involved?

Volunteers will be key to the success of the Galway Stopover and are the ‘face' of the event to visitors at the Race Village. Prominent throughout, they will be the central point of information and ensure the village is friendly, safe and accessible for all. This is a unique opportunity for people to play an integral role in the biggest international sporting Festival within Europe in 2009. Volunteers will be integral to the positive impact of this event which places Galway and Ireland centre stage to a two billion global audience. Volunteers will experience an international sporting event first-hand, build new skills and, most importantly have fun!

What do volunteers do?

Several Volunteers will be needed in the two weeks before and after the event to assist with the village ‘set-up' and ‘breakdown' and throughout the two week festival. There are many exciting on-water and on-shore opportunities available to Volunteers during the Galway Stopover, where people will be assigned to information points, the media centre, race management, spectator services, and many other exciting events taking place throughout the race village. There is also a schools programme so you can help give tours of the Race village for primary school children.

Volunteers Training Programme
This is an event of International Standard for which we plan to deliver a volunteer programme to the same level. To this end Volunteers will be required to undergo specific training, which will introduce volunteers to a ‘day in the life' of the event, their team, and their specific role in the event. All volunteers will be required to attend at least two sessions, depending on the role to which they are assigned.

Benefits of Volunteering
• All volunteers working a full shift will be entitled to a meal voucher
• There will be an awards system in place for volunteers who complete all elements of the training programme and all shifts assigned during the stopover- win free stuff!
• Free!! Access to events being held during the festival
• The official Galway Stopover Volunteer T-Shirt (unique to the volunteer programme)

How to Get Involved
Apply to become a volunteer email studentvolunteering@nuigalway.ie

Students Urged to Vote!

The Union of Students of Ireland launches vote.ie to enable and encourage students to vote in local and European elections. Check out the website www.studentvote.ie to check the voter register and to register to vote.

ALIVE features in Nationwide NUI Galway Special

Nationwide speaks to the current President, Dr James J. Browne, about the significance of the economic impact NUI Galway has both in the west of Ireland and nationally. Gearóid Ó Tuathaigh, Professor of History at NUI Galway also speaks about the foundation of the University in Galway and how it has changed over the years.

Professor Pat Dolan of the Child and Family Research Centre in the University's School of Political Science and Sociology talks about his recent appointment as the UNESCO Chair for Children, Youth and Civic Engagement, the first of its kind in Ireland.

One of the areas which is already enhancing students and communities lives is NUI Galway's Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) and second year Irish and Philosophy student Orla Murphy from County Clare speaks about her experiences of being involved in the popular student volunteer programme ALIVE.

RTÉ's television programme Nationwide, presented by Mary Kennedy, is to feature a special on NUI Galway. The show will broadcast on Monday, 20 April at 7.00pm. To view the Nationwide programme please visit www.rte.ie/news/nationwide

European Year of Volunteering 2011!

On the 18^th February 2009, it was announced that the European Commission, on instruction of President Barroso, has started preparing the European Year of Volunteering 2011.

This announcement follows an intensive two and a half year campaign led by an alliance of nineteen European networks active in volunteering and coordinated by the European Volunteer Centre (CEV).

Read more about the Campaign for 2011!

http://www.cev.be

Archbishop Tutu Praises NUI Galway’s ALIVE Volunteering Programme

Following a lengthy standing ovation, Archbishop Desmond Tutu addressed a packed audience of over 1000 people at NUI Galway’s Literary and Debating Society event last night. The Noble Peace Prize winner called for a sense of ’togetherness’ in order that humanity might combat the challenges of climate change and economic meltdown.

Archbishop Tutu, who led South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, was critical of the vast sums spent on military budgets, when so many lacked clean water, education and basic healthcare. Referring to the ’so-called war on terror’, he said there was no way to win ’as long as there are conditions in the world that make people desperate’.

The Archbishop was introduced by Sir Bob Geldof, who told the packed auditorium ’how privileged we are to be in the same room as an historic giant’. Sir Bob was making his first visit to NUI Galway in over 30 years, since he gigged in the college bar with the Boomtown Rats.

Watch

Archbishop Desmond Tutu on the RTE 9 o'clock news acknowledge ALIVE volunteers.

Speaking about the spirit of volunteering at NUI Galway, the Archbishop praised the University’s ALIVE volunteering programme which encourages civic engagement, describing it to media as ’fantastic’. He also reminded the audience that every human was family, and said 'you know you all come from Africa’.

Dan Colley, Auditor of the Literary and Debating Society at NUI Galway, described the Archbishop’s address and ’enlightening and lightening’, referring to the South Africans humour.

At the end of proceedings, Sir Bob Geldof presented the Literary & Debating Society’s highest accolade, the President’s Medal, to Archbishop Tutu. The medal has previously been awarded to such notable figures as philosopher and linguist Noam Chomsky, US Senator Mike Gravel, Congressman Bruce Morrison, and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

Proceeds from the event have been pledged to a charity of Archbishop Tutu’s choice.

Author: Press Office, NUI Galway

ALIVE on Facebook!

ALIVE is now on Facebook! You can be our friend, look us up at: Alive Nuigalway

You can join groups like Galway Volunteers, Social Innovators, etc!

The Dell Social Innovation Competition

"What's your dream? Get started on it today. Enter your idea in the 2009 Dell Social Innovation Competition and change the world!

The Dell Social Innovation Competition provides a vehicle for taking a student innovation from idea to reality. The competition is a real-world exercise in developing skills in plan development, pitching ideas to investors, developing networks and receiving constructive feedback for increasing the probability of successfully launching a venture. The competition operates like a business plan competition, awarding seed funding directly to the student-led venture that best meets the judges' criteria. The range of projects eligible for the award is limited only by the ambitions and imaginations of the contestants.

We invite college students from around the globe to enter the competition online by briefly stating their innovation. "

Ammado- Social Networking for Nonprofits

ALIVE joins Ammado!

ammado connects nonprofits, socially responsible companies and engaged individuals in an interactive and unique environment. We harness the power of the internet to accelerate communication, awareness and fundraising.

ammado is the global online community of people who care. We connect nonprofits, socially responsible companies and engaged individuals dedicated to positive change on a global and local level. ammado has a vision to build a community that will change our world.

Have a look:
http://www.ammado.com

We Are What We Do

How can you change the world?

We Are What We Do is a new kind of movement inspiring people to change the world one small action at a time.

Our philosophy is simple:
small actions x lots of people = big change

We have the 130 small things that you can do to change really big things.

http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/

Volunteers like coffee

Starbucks Launch a Volunteer Effort!
Customers who fill out cards in Starbucks' stores pledging to volunteer five hours of time will receive one free tall coffee today through Sunday.

The Website has a searchable database to enable people to find there nearest volunteer opportunity.

http://pledge5.starbucks.com/

Where will you be in 2012?

Up to 70,000 volunteers will be needed to help put on the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. London 2012 is an opportunity to inspire everyone to develop their interests and volunteer – in sport and also more widely within their community. A Volunteer Programme has been developed to recruit, train and support volunteers.

You can find out more and register your interest online:
Here

Be inspired by vinspired.com

v, the independent charity set up to encourage young people to volunteer, has launched a brand new web–based portal to act as a central gateway for volunteering information and guidance which also offers easy access to local volunteering opportunities. The site - www.vinspired.com – has been designed specifically for 16 to 25 year olds in England, and incorporates a host of social networking features and user-generated content to provide an unrivalled destination for young people interested in volunteering.

www.vinspired.com

v, the youth volunteering charity

v. It's the first letter of the word volunteering. It's also the name of a new charity set up to inspire a new generation of volunteers in the UK. It all started the Russell Commission, which was set up by the government to look at the future of youth volunteering. Over 6000 young people had their say, as well as voluntary organisations, businesses and the media.


v exists to inspire a new generation of young volunteers (aged 16-25) in England and enable a lasting change in the quality, quantity and diversity of youth volunteering.

Log on and check out v's website at http://www.wearev.com/

Julia-Louis Dreyfus talks about volunteering in communities

Project Scotland Wants Scottish Students to Volunteer!

Galway Traveller Movement Homework Club

From Left to Right, Breda McDonagh (Galway Traveller Movement), Christina Leonard (PGDE Student and "Pavee Study" Volunteer Tutor), Elaine Keane (Lecturer & Deputy Director PGDE, School of Education, NUI Galway), Áine Lee (PGDE Student and "Pavee Study" Volunteer Tutor), Ciara Bradley (Community Development Facilitator, Galway Traveller Movement), and Debbie McDonagh (Leaving Certificate Student, Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Galway (Salerno, and "Pavee Study" participant)

As an optional part of their Education & Society foundation course, 42 Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) (former Higher Diploma in Education) students in the School of Education at NUI Galway registered their interest in service-learning and volunteering with the ALIVE programme in September 2007, and many subsequently went on to participate in such work with numerous community and other non-governmental organisations throughout the country.

One example is "Pavee Study". In 2007, the Galway Traveller Movement (GTM) and the School of Education at NUI Galway collaboratively set up "Pavee Study", a homework club managed, facilitated and supervised by Traveller parents. In its pilot year, it has run four nights per week in the GTM offices. General academic support, together with subject-specific homework support and tuition is provided free of charge to thirteen post-primary Traveller students from schools throughout Galway city, including the Presentation Secondary School, Salerno Secondary School, Coláiste Einde, and St. Mary’s College.

"I now feel happier going to school because I'm able to keep up with the rest of the class and my homework is always done. I would like to act as a role model for other young Travellers to finish school," said Debbie McDonagh, Leaving Certificate student (pictured)

Twenty-two voluntary tutors work with the students. Ten are NUI Galway PGDE students, two of whom (Christina and Áine) are pictured.

Both the GTM and the School of Education feel that it is vital that Travellers don’t get lost in the current important focus upon interculturalism in both society and education. Work is in progress to further develop both the “Pavee Study” and workshop elements of this project, with a particular emphasis on examining ways of ensuring its long-term sustainability. This will include an exploration of potential funding sources.

For further details, contact Elaine Keane, School of Education, NUI Galway - Tel.: 091 493032 or email elaine.keanenuigalway.ie or Margaret O’Riada, Galway Traveller Movement – Tel.: 091 765390 or email margaretgtmtrav.ie

(from an article as appeared in the Tuam Herald, Thursday, April 24th 2008)