Volunteer Service Abroad 50 year celebration

Rau rangatira mā e huihui nei, Te Kaumātua e Awi, Mihi mai, karanga mai, Ki a māua ko taku hoa, a Janine. Tēnei ahau, Te Māngai a te Kuini o Aotearoa.  E mihi ana ki a tātou mate, moe mai koutou.  Ki tēnei kaupapa whakanui i te rima-te-kau tau o Te Tūao Tāwhāi , kia ora huihui tātou katoa. 

Distinguished guests and especially those from VSA Aotearoa New Zealand who have welcomed us so cordially, ladies and gentlemen, warm greetings to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Gavin Kerr, President of Volunteer Service Abroad, Chief Executive Debbie Snelson and kaumātua Awi Riddell - tēnā koutou; Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Hon Jo Goodhew - tēnā koe; Your Worship Celia Wade-Brown, Mayor of Wellington - tēnā koe; and members of Parliament: Hon Phil Goff, John Hayes, Su’a William Sio, Hon Maryan Street and Phil Twyford - tēnā koutou.

Thank you for inviting Janine and me to this celebration and exhibition to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of VSA Aotearoa New Zealand.

It seems to be the season for anniversaries.  Last month, I attended the celebrations in Timor-Leste to mark the 10th anniversary of the restoration of independence and two weeks ago I attended the 50th anniversary of Samoa’s independence in 1962.  And, of course, people throughout the Commonwealth have been marking the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. 

Today, it’s VSA’s time to celebrate a significant milestone in its history—its 50th anniversary.  While some might say that one year is no different from any other, we mark significant anniversaries for many reasons other than just as an excuse for a celebration—not that that isn’t important as well!

The first reason to mark this important anniversary is because it is an opportunity to look back and celebrate all that VSA and its people have achieved.  In the case of VSA, those achievements have been outstanding.  Over the past 50 years, more than 3500 volunteers have served abroad in 33 countries.  That means that as an organisation whose focus is providing assistance at the most fundamental level - between people - many thousands of lives have been touched for the better.

Children have been taught; teachers, nurses, doctors, tradespeople and other professionals have been trained.  Knowledge in many fields, including education, health, business, agriculture and tourism has been shared with people in developing countries around the world.  And all this has been achieved because more than 3500 New Zealanders decided to volunteer their time, knowledge and skills to help others. 

I have met some of those volunteers, and seen first-hand the work they do in places as diverse as Bougainville, Tokelau and Timor-Leste.  For example, I met VSA volunteers during my recent visits to Timor-Leste and Tokelau where they are making a significant difference for the better to the lives of so many people. 

The benefit of having New Zealanders volunteering their service abroad has spinoffs for our country.  Their service engenders an affection for New Zealand and New Zealanders.  That respect is manifested in the places VSA works: the communities, and at national and regional levels too – and with students, senior administrators and political leaders.  Put simply, VSA volunteers are outstanding ambassadors for New Zealand.

The benefits also flow through to the individual volunteers and back into New Zealand.  VSA volunteers gain an invaluable insight to the world, and a useful understanding of the challenges faced by people and communities in the developing world.  And that understanding is shared with the people at home, which helps to build a valuable constituency for New Zealand’s development work. 

The skills that volunteers gain while overseas also enrich New Zealand on their return.  Working in austere conditions can only develop their technical skills.  Working in what are mostly vulnerable communities expands their proficiency in cross-cultural communication, problem-solving and mentoring.  It is therefore, understandable that many volunteers feel more confident and better able to meet new challenges on return from their assignments.

The second reason that we mark this anniversary is because it’s an opportunity to celebrate VSA Aotearoa-New Zealand’s success.  From modest beginnings in 1962 VSA has grown to be New Zealand’s largest and most experienced international volunteering agency. 

VSA has succeeded because it is an organisation that is widely respected by those who choose to volunteer, its funders and those agencies and organisations that VSA builds relationships with at home and abroad.  Admiration is due because VSA promotes to the rest of the world, in a very practical way, certain principles that we New Zealanders value - cross-culture understanding, voluntary service, sense of community and respect.  Holding to these principles has also ensured that VSA has held vice-regal patronage since the 1960s .

VSA’s purpose and value were recognised from the outset by the great New Zealander, the late Sir Edmund Hillary, who was its inaugural president for 13 years from February 1963.  He will have seen in the utility of VSA, a practical example of the same dedication to service he displayed and promoted throughout his illustrious life.  As he once said: “Reaching the summit of a mountain gives great satisfaction, but nothing for me has been more rewarding in life than the result of our climb on Everest, when we have devoted ourselves to the welfare of our Sherpa friends.”

However, VSA has also succeeded because it has adapted to changing times.  Fifty years ago, most volunteers worked in schools, affecting the lives of the 40 or so children they taught.  Today volunteers come from many backgrounds and those with a teaching background are more likely to act as mentor or provide in-service training to local teachers.

Likewise, until recently, volunteers gave two years to their assignment.  VSA has recognised that while many people want to help, not everyone can commit to two years, and so VSA has introduced short-term assignments that I understand are proving popular.

The third reason to mark this anniversary is to take the opportunity to look ahead.  As I’ve noted, VSA has achieved much in its 50 years.  It has changed lives both at home and abroad for the better, it has established itself as a leading development agency and it can point to genuinely improved outcomes from its initiatives. 

Much remains to be done.  The idealism of 1962 has been tempered by the recognition that achieving real change can be a long, gradual and sometimes challenging pathway.  Aspiring to have 500 volunteers working with more than 250 partners to improve the lives of 500,000 people is an audacious and challenging vision. 

So as VSA looks to the future, this anniversary is a time to recommit to the principles on which it was founded.  As an agency focused on voluntary service and people-centred development, the concept of manaakitanga—relationships based on respect, humanity and cross-cultural understanding are fundamental.  Also, the notion of working collaboratively together with partner agencies, with volunteers and with hosts has been heart of your past success, and will be so in the future. 

In conclusion, I congratulate VSA, its Board, management and staff, members, donors and supporters on reaching this significant milestone.  Most of all, however, I congratulate the volunteers because they are the linchpin of VSA, without them nothing could have been achieved.  This anniversary celebration is the culmination of their energy, enthusiasm and commitment.  This celebration fully reflects the well-known Māori pepeha: “He aha te mea nui o te ao – (What is the most important thing in the world?): he tangata, he tangata, he tangata – (it is people, it is people, it is people!)”

Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.