If you are advising a non-profit organization, NGO, or other community-based
group, or you are helping other volunteers, this is a must read.
This will help you communicate with others more effectively regarding
technical expertise you are well versed in but that they may not fully
understand.
These are resources that relate specifically to setting up and maintaining
community networks and community telecenters. Most of these resources
are for onsite staff, but the materials can help online volunteers
support community network staff via the Internet. This list was compiled
with volunteers affiliated with
in mind in particular!
Some online volunteers are asked to help with applying ICT to culturally-related
projects, such as creating a web site that offers information about
a particular region and its cultural history (music, stories, artwork,
etc.). These web sites can help volunteers using technology in cultural/heritage-related
projects.
Facilitating networking among community telecentres worldwide, through
the sharing of information, experiences and resources related to practical
telecentre implementation and management is one of the objectives of the
UNESCO web site. .
Some online volunteers are asked to translate short documents, such
as brochures, newsletters, flyers or web pages, from English to another
language. These are tips on how to successfully involve such volunteers,
as well as links to free tools that translate simple documents from
other languages into English, and vice versa.
Agencies often need help identifying possible grant opportunities
and supporters. These resources can help you use the Internet to research
grant opportunities, including online funding/e-commerce opportunities.
Many Online Volunteers moderate (approve all posts) or facilitate
(keeping the discussion flowing) online discussion groups, either
via e-mail or via a chat/real-time platform. We recommend these resources
for those taking on the role of discussion group host.
Online Volunteers may be asked to help with a variety of outreach
activities, from speech writing to contacting web masters to ask for
links to a web site, to posting to online newsgroups. These are links
to resources to help Online Volunteers engaged in the most common
online outreach assignments.
Creating and supporting systems of e-government or e-democracy can
help create a more direct relationship between people and their representatives,
as well as empower citizens with knowledge that can help them make
informed policy decisions.
Information on finding the right volunteer opportunity and making
the most out of your volunteer activities can be crucial for making
a real difference and having a rewarding experience as a volunteer.
This resource helps volunteers explore how volunteerism can influence
a career, volunteering with your family, and how to find the right
agency and opportunity to match your interest. There are also links
to resources to help you while you volunteer, and how to find and
prepare for an international volunteering experience.
These are online guidelines by other organizations for their volunteers.
They can provide you with additional resources in your volunteer
service, whatever kind of service that is, to an organization.
In addition to the part of bridging the digital divide that has
to do with giving people tools and training for access, there is also
a need to help build people's capacity to understand the basics of
online safety and responsibility.
Volunteer managers already have phones and email to work with offsite
volunteers. What is the advantage of using Instant Messaging (IM)
with these volunteers as well? UNITeS has created this resource,
based on feedback from various online discussion groups, from our
own staff experiences, and other resources, to help illustrate the
advantages for using IM to work with volunteers.
Resources researched and summarized by UNITeS. Examples of volunteers/citizens/grass
roots advocates using handheld computer/personal digital assistants
(PDAs) or phone devices as part of community service/volunteering/advocacy,
or examples that could be applied to volunteer settings. Also included
is a section on Advocacy, and a listing of Online Software Directories
for Handhelds.
UNV/UNITeS was the guest columnist for the Digital Opportunity Channel,
a joint initiative of OneWorld and the Digital Divide Network. We
offered details on why volunteers are essential to ICT projects in
developing communities. [more]
UNV/UNITeS presentation made at the Community Technology Center's
national conference in Austin, Texas, detailing why volunteers are
an essential part of the sustainability and success of ICT projects,
particularly those with a CTC component, with suggestions for better
involving volunteers in these projects.
Most of the materials listed in this knowledge base reside on this
UNITeS web site; other links, marked with this symbol,
, will take you to other organizations' web sites.
If you find this or any other UNITeS information helpful, or would
like to add information based on your own experience, please
