IVCO 2020 Paper Volunteering for Climate Action in Pacific Island Countries: Considerations for IVCO 2020

This paper starts with an overview of its reach and rationale, followed by an introduction that provides the context as to why the Pacific is a highly relevant (virtual) setting for the IVCO 2020 theme, Volunteering for Climate Action, and then discusses:

1. The efforts of community, national, regional and international volunteers in PIC’s supporting climate action. This section will start with an overview of how volunteering is perceived in the Pacific and the importance of informal volunteering for community resilience, before drawing on examples of the different formal2 voluntary efforts focused on climate action through awareness and advocacy, strengthening of resilience and disaster response, and strengthening and adapting policies and systems.

2. How Forum members operating in PIC’s are supporting climate action through their volunteer programmes.

3. Reflections on what we, the volunteering for development sector, need to do to strengthen our efforts on volunteering for climate action in PIC’s.

Individually and within organisations, communities, and government departments, volunteers in Pacific Island Countries are working tirelessly to support climate action from the community to the global level. This paper explores their efforts and seeks to spark ideas and discussion points for participants at IVCO 2020. The paper is aimed in particular at members of Forum, suggesting that we must and can better support climate action, and that there are opportunities to do so as a network, as individual members, through our volunteers, and though our partnerships.

The main focuses of the paper are –

· The efforts of community, national, regional and international volunteers in Pacific Island Countries supporting climate action.

· How Forum members operating in Pacific Island Countries are supporting climate action through their volunteer programmes.

· Reflections on what we, the volunteering for development sector, need to do to strengthen our efforts on volunteering for climate action in Pacific Island Countries.