Attitudes, skills and important duties of the volunteer

Freedom was established as the main axis that defines voluntary action. Even before that solidarity and the pursuit of justice. Without meeting this principle, a good deed may be socially effective, can have positive repercussions for marginalized or excluded groups, but never will be voluntary because the decision is wholly or partly driven by an objective interest: wages, few academic credits to meet with a law, family pressure or a reference group, disproportionate incentives, military service or scholarships or practices of professional content and economic repercussions.

In another context, be careful with the pressure they can exert, with the best intentions, teachers, parents, therapists or other youth educators to make a charge of voluntary social work. The orientation and education for solidarity for children and young people should not be confused with the obligation to volunteer.

In addition, volunteer service is a set of actions designed to improve the quality of life of people with diverse needs. The outcast, the sick, the person alone and abandoned, the protagonists of all voluntary action and to them must tend all the efforts. The planning, selection of volunteers, training, monitoring programs, support to voluntary work. are threads that are knotted at one point in the network: the welfare of the recipient of that service.

There is much difference between "volunteer programs for the reintegration of marginalized? and "programs for the reintegration of marginalized done by volunteers?. The volunteer will always direct their efforts toward a third person outside the group of the volunteers, because a team of volunteers can become a self help group, at least as a first target.

People are not tools. No person is an instrument to reach any end, the end is high. The protagonist in volunteerism is the outcast and in it we have to think about when considering any method of working. There will be volunteers whose motivations, misunderstood, collide with the radical principle of volunteering. You can not put the benefits of the beneficiary's voluntary programs. The volunteer or organization can not choose a method of work thinking about how good it will feel the volunteer, or if it goes out of his depression or is more suited to a doctrine, or public impact will be achieved flash, or if you get votes. They seek the most effective method for the sick or marginalized achieves the highest benefit. Another thing is that, by the way, the volunteers receive personal rewards incalculable.

J.C.G.F

Partnership for development

ccs@solidarios.org.es