Volunteers - World Ecotourism Conference 2011

Benefits of Volunteering

Volunteering can deliver a wealth of benefits. Self-worth, great fun, friendships and job opportunities can all be part of getting involved with your community. Volunteering may be an outlet for your natural talents, a road-test for your new career, or simply a handy way to meet new friends. Your strong beliefs and values may also inspire you to volunteer.

The skills and experiences that you gain while volunteering are often very useful for careers and life generally. The skills and experiences may enhance your resume. Some people use volunteering to road-test a new career or to secure paid employment; others find the experience valuable for personal reasons.

Vientiane Airport, WEC2009

Volunteers with a Speaker from Japan, 2010

Volunteers taking the honours on stage

Volunteers Support

Volunteers are provided with assistance, support and counselling:

Volunteer's Appreciation Certificate as acknowledged by the Host Country and stakeholders

* Subject to availability

3rd World Ecotourism Conference Volunteers Programme

Are you a young male or female seeking volunteer opportunities? Do you want to acquire new skills? Meet new people? Put your talents to good use?

This is a rare opportunity to volunteer in a World Conference where you will be meeting State leaders and captains of the industry as well as delegates from as many as 50 countries. In 2010, over 150 applications were received.

As this is a massive world event that is beyond the normal capacity of local stakeholders, the role of the volunteers is to provide assistance, technical knowledge and operational expertise to support the capacity of local organisers and their team based in Sihanoukville and to ensure the success of the event that will help to position Cambodia in the world ecotourism map.

Introduction

The delegates at the 1st World Ecotourism Conference, having met in Vientiane, Lao PDR from 15 to 17 July 2007, produced a Visionary Statement which was supported by a series of affirmative actions, among which includes:

Capacity Building and Role of Academia

Strengthening tourism human resources through education and training, with special focus on youth and women and recognizing the important role of academia in incorporating sustainable principles and ideology in tourism education curriculum.

In light of this, WEC2011 aims to enlist youths of different nationalities to partake in the event in Sihanoukville. Those who are employed in relevant fields or undertaking courses in disciplines like tourism, social sciences, language, international relations, public policies, sustainable development etc will be most eligible.

Click Here to submit your application as a Volunteer

WEC2011 Volunteering Opportunities:

Event:	World Ecotourism Conference 2011

Dates:	3 to 5 October 2011 (Volunteers can apply from 1 to 7 days of volunteer work ie from 1st to 6th July 2010. However rosters will be assigned)

Locations:	Ministry of Tourism Office, Phnom Penh, Independence Hotel (Conference Venue), Sihanoukville Official partner hotels in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville Technical Tours - Sihanoukville, Koh Kong and others

No. of volunteers required:	Twenty (20) males/females of different nationalities, preferably studying tourism, social studies, economics, environment conservation, leisure management, hospitality or English language courses/programmes OR working in a tourism/travel organisation. Cambodians who are conversant in English are strongly encouraged to apply.

Ideal characteristics	A genuine liking for people and service-oriented. Strengths in organizing and documenting their work (advantage for those with experience in secretarial skills, conference management, tour/transport arrangement, computer skills or international communications) Active efforts engaged in travelling, tourism, local communities, environment, nature or environment. Excellent computer skills and/or communication skills. Strengths in taking initiatives once the task is clearly understood. A willingness to learn and try A persistently cheerful and positive demeanour

Oral fluency:	Candidates are required to have at least elementary proficiency of English language which is the medium of communication in this event. Candidates who can communicate in Spanish will have an added advantage.

Age bracket:	20 to 32 years old (Age requirement may be exempted for those with special skills)

Interviews & Orientation:	Successful candidates will be informed accordingly on the interview dates. Orientation is on 2nd October 2011, which is mandatory. The venue will be notified later.

Per diem	3rd to 4th October 2011 (based on volunteer's work roster) sufficient to cover for refreshments and basic meals when on duty. Per diem is not applicable for during orientation. Note: Under Cambodian immigration rules, social visit pass for visiting foreigners does not permit employment. Volunteer work is unpaid. Volunteers are not employees but discipline is dictated by normal office rules and regulations of a company. Except for specific per diem for refreshments and meals as mentioned above, volunteers will need to pay for all their personal expenses including travelling to Phnom Penh/Sihanoukville, daily transportation and lodging. Optional basic accommodation can be arranged for volunteers in Sihanoukville. An estimated US$150 - US$200 will cover the cost of one week's transportation, shared accommodation, meals and refreshments during the volunteer period.

Roles of Volunteers	Ushering Liaison officers Secretariat administration and assistance Manning information/help desks Hall Marshals Handing out pamphlets Selling merchandise Time keepers Pre-event office administration and assistance, Delegate registration Transport and Transfer Logistics Coordinating technical tours and post tours Packing conference bags prior to an event Coordinating speakers and presentations Providing IT support and assistance to speakers Volunteers will work in small groups and will be assigned a coordinator who will assume the role as mentor.

Recognition	Volunteers who have completed their volunteer work to the satisfaction of their coordinators will receive a Certificate of Appreciation for your volunteer work, while deserving volunteers who have excelled in their volunteer work (at least 5 days) will receive a testimonial to support their career resumes and references.

Terms and conditions	Successful candidates are required to sign a Volunteer's Agreement which specifies the role of the volunteer and a Non-Disclosure agreement to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.

Contact:	Volunteer Coordinator - volunteer@WorldEcotourismConference.com

Volunteering

In general terms, volunteering is the practice of people working on behalf of others or a particular cause without payment for their time and services. Volunteering is generally considered an altruistic activity, intended to promote good or improve human quality of life, but people also volunteer for their own skill development, to meet others, to make contacts for possible employment, to have fun, and a variety of other reasons that could be considered self-serving.

Volunteering takes many forms and is performed by a wide range of people. Many volunteers are specifically trained in the areas they work in, such as medicine, education, or emergency rescue. Other volunteers serve on an as-needed basis, such as in response to a natural disaster or for a beach-cleanup.