Volunteer Activist Campaign in Iceland
"Gerðu eitthvað magnað! – Promoting volunteering among young Icelanders"
Background
The level of awareness of volunteering among young people in Iceland is rather low. There is also a negative perception of volunteering as unpaid work, which tend to be considered as degrading and unworthy of effort. This campaign therefore aims at increasing awareness among young Icelanders about the advantages of volunteering: on a personal and social level. It thus seeks to change the present predominant negative attitude about volunteering in Iceland.
About this campaign
The aim of the campaign was twofold: to increase awareness among young Icelanders of the advantages of volunteering in terms of personal- and societal benefits (personal growth, non-formal and inter-cultural learning, and bridging stereotypes and prejudices, encouraging diversity, and introducing new ways of doing things), and second to change the presently predominant negative attitude towards volunteering (which is considered degrading and unworthy of effort). During the period of May 1st – June 28th, the event was promoted among Icelanders by means of: Posters displayed in public places in Reykjavík, by conducting personality tests and handing out flyers with information about the upcoming event on the Icelandic Independence Day and following weekend, on Facebook (both on ICYE Iceland’s page and others: The Green Messengers, EUF Icelandic NA, ProjektPolska, etc.), by word of mouth, and a theatre performance.
As Facebook is one of the main means of communication in Iceland, the aim was to create the first in Iceland comprehensive and reliable Facebook page with focus solely on volunteering. The Facebook page has over 500 likes and is steadily growing. It is the only comprehensive page in Iceland that provides information about: events created by volunteers, volunteers and their experiences (volunteer profiles), Icelanders abroad, foreigners in Iceland, Icelanders volunteering locally, benefits of volunteering, volunteer news & ideology, volunteering opportunities in Iceland, and anything else that falls within the topic of volunteering (video, links, quotes, jokes, parables, etc.). The page is also promoting the activities of partner organisations such as Green Messengers, Movie Nights, Red Cross Iceland. We believe that the Facebook page proved to be a great means of increasing visibility of volunteering in Iceland, volunteering in general and the ideology behind volunteering.
The main event of the campaign took place in Reykjavík on June 28, 2014 and comprised an artistic festival and a set of speeches on volunteering. Roughly 500 visitors attended the event, which was more than initially expected. Many people came to listen to the famous musicians who agreed to perform and talk about why they support volunteering. Others came because of the politician (and former volunteer in NZ) Steingrimur J. Sigfusson, who cancelled his speech and instead talked to people personally for two hours as he was convinced this would have a greater impact than a short speech. During the event, AUS ICYE volunteers also shared their personal stories and explained why volunteering is important in Iceland, how it influenced their lives, and what they gained. The event was promoted on Facebook, announcedon two radio stations, on school websites, in newspapers, and promoted through stands on the event placed at popular places in Reykjavík from June 14 - 21, 2014.
The photograph to the right shows the promotional stand on 17 June 2014 on Icelandic Independence Day. The stand informed young Icelanders about the upcoming event on June 28 2014 aimed at raising more awareness about volunteering.
This campaign was supported and organised by AUS-ICYE with the active involvement of Icelandic Red Cross, local schools (Verzlunarskóli Íslands, Borgarholtsskóli and Mentaskólinn við Hamrahlíð), the Salvation Army, Mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneyt and Radio channel Lindin.
Interview on the radio about volunteering and the main event: http://www.visir.is/section/MEDIA98&fileid=CLP27938
Learn more about the campaign: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Here-I-am-volunteers-of-Iceland/282861861873874?fref=ts
The aim of the campaign was twofold: to increase awareness among young Icelanders of the advantages of volunteering in terms of personal- and societal benefits (personal growth, non-formal and inter-cultural learning, and bridging stereotypes and prejudices, encouraging diversity, and introducing new ways of doing things), and second to change the presently predominant negative attitude towards volunteering (which is considered degrading and unworthy of effort). During the period of May 1st – June 28th, the event was promoted among Icelanders by means of: Posters displayed in public places in Reykjavík, by conducting personality tests and handing out flyers with information about the upcoming event on the Icelandic Independence Day and following weekend, on Facebook (both on ICYE Iceland’s page and others: The Green Messengers, EUF Icelandic NA, ProjektPolska, etc.), by word of mouth, and a theatre performance.
As Facebook is one of the main means of communication in Iceland, the aim was to create the first in Iceland comprehensive and reliable Facebook page with focus solely on volunteering.
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