Mexico 2016: Volunteering for Social Change

The 24^th World Volunteer Conference will take place in Mexico City from 7 to 10 November. This event is promoted by the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and has been an important gathering point for volunteer leaders from throughout the world since the first conference in 1970.

Under the slogan of “Volunteering for social change”, the conference will focus on the most relevant debates on volunteering, which include how the value of volunteering is measured or the linkage between volunteering and work, but also the role of governments and education institutions as volunteering leaders.

This year’s edition is hosted by Cemefi, the Mexican Center for Philanthropy, which will hold its 20^th National Conference at the same time. The Alianza Mexicana de Voluntariado (Mexican Volunteering Alliance) (Amevol) will also be involved in this year’s edition, which expects some 1,200 participants from 50 different countries.

Some days before, from 3-5 November, the city of Puebla will host the 8^th World Youth Volunteer Conference, for young volunteers or people linked to youth organisations. The aim is to bring a renewed vision of youth volunteering, acknowledging its role as a key factor for development as well as a responsible and active citizenship exercise. The program hinges on the Sustainable Development Goals and is organised around the following themes:

• Volunteerism for building a healthy, dignified and equal environment
• Volunteering for Sustainable Progress
• Volunteerism for Strengthening a Global Alliance for Peace