International Volunteer Day: Celebrating Australian volunteers

On International Volunteer Day we celebrate the contributions that Australian volunteers are making to communities across the Indo-Pacific region.

They are among more than 15,000 Australians who have been supported by the Australian Government to generously donate their skills and experience overseas in the past 60 years, helping them to become stronger, safer, and more prosperous.

The theme for this year’s International Volunteer Day is Volunteer for an inclusive future, and participants in the Australian Volunteers Program are doing exactly this.

Australian volunteers are representative of our diverse society, and bring their broad array of talents to a variety of organisations and communities overseas.

Volunteers from Australia’s deaf community have been supporting Bhutan’s only school for the deaf to train more specialised teachers. In Papua New Guinea, Australians are helping to improve conditions for women market sellers.

In Laos, a team of four volunteers with different disabilities have helped local advocates work with education providers and sporting programs to change attitudes and challenge perceptions about disability.

These international volunteers and many others make a lasting impact, both in our region and on their return to Australia, after they bring home experiences, skills and friendships.

I would like to thank all Australian volunteers for their contributions, whether they are overseas supporting local organisations or back home.

The Australian Volunteers Program provides opportunities for skilled Australians to volunteer in one of 26 countries in our region, and contribute to the Australian Government's aid program. You can learn more at www.australianvolunteers.com