Strengthening the Policy Environment for Volunteering for Peace and Development in Southern Africa

This paper proposes that for volunteerism to reach its full potential in contributing to peace and development, there must be a supportive and an enabling environment for volunteering. The components of such an enabling environment are a strong government and civil society partnership to ensure shared appreciation of volunteerism; supportive public leadership, policies and legislation; adoption of a diversity of approaches to facilitate inclusive volunteerism; and sustainable funding.