ICVNews Flash / November 2008

Happening this Month...

• Volunteering and Technologies: Tell us what you think!
• International Forum on Violence against Women
• World Congress on Specialized Translation
• For a multilingual cyberspace… discussions in Hyderabad
• Idealist.org launches the International Volunteerism Resource centre
• Awards & Special Thanks
• Up-coming projects

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VOLUNTEERING AND TECHNOLOGIES
Your voice matters… tell us what you think!

Internet technologies are inevitably influencing our lifestyles and impacting an increasing number of functions in our lives. In this virtual world everything is possible. We can do Christmas shopping or meet Woody Allen fans from the other end of the globe or… become somebody else. But by joining the Internet community, we can also help change people's lives. That is how the idea of cybervolunteerism was born. Today, ICV is particularly keen to promote the meaningful use of modern information technologies for knowledge sharing. With this perspective, we would like to introduce new functionalities and activities, but would first like to understand what role the Internet is playing in the daily lives of the volunteers and members part of our network. We are interested to see for which purposes you use it and how often? What are your suggestions in terms of our online services? To participate, click here. It just takes a few minutes: www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=xNvTvEv2R_2bV8nZ5_2bGsuzTA_3d_3d

ICVOLUNTEERS-BARCELONA
International Forum on Violence against Women
From 20 to 22 November 2008, ICVolunteers-Barcelona will be involved in the first International Forum on Violence against Women, which will be held in Barcelona at the Espai Francesca Bonnemaison. The general objective of the Forum is to exchange experiences around the fight against violence towards women and to share ideas for the creation of an intercultural European Network on Violence Against Women. The Forum proposes three seminars on networks building, intercultural aspects of violence, and women's rights. The ICVolunteers interpreter network will provide linguistic services during the event.

More: www.icvolunteers.org/projectsshort/364 and www.violenciadegenere.org

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MAAYA
World Congress on Specialized Translation
The UN has proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Languages. To join in the events, MAAYA, the World Network for Linguistic Diversity, is celebrating the Year of Languages and Intercultural Dialogue in a Globalizing World through various activities to take place on all five continents. As part of the activities, the MAAYA Network and the Unión Latina -- with the support of Cuba's Centre for Translation and Interpretation (ESTI), the Cuban Association of Translators and Interpreters (ACTI), and the Canadian Translators, Terminologists and Interpreters Council (CTTIC) -- are convening the World Congress on Specialized Translation in Havana, Cuba, from 8 to 13 December 2008. The aim of the meeting is to highlight the importance of specialized translation as a guarantee of multilingualism and as a shield against any attempts to impose a hegemonic monolingual dialogue.

More: http://dtil.unilat.org/cmte2008/en/presentacion.htm

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INTERNET GOVERNANCE
For a multilingual cyberspace… discussions in Hyderabad
Languages, with their complex implications for identity, communication, social integration, education and development, are of strategic importance to people and the planet. ICVolunteers has the strong conviction that when languages fade so does the world's rich tapestry of cultural diversity, opportunities, memory, unique modes of thinking and expression. As a member of the Dynamic Coalition for Linguistic Diversity, ICVolunteers will participate at the third Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting, which will be held in Hyderabad, India, from 3-6 December 2008. The main sessions will focus on access to the Internet, cyber-security and cyber-crime, and multilingualism. The Executive Director of ICVolunteers, Ms Viola Krebs, will facilitate a workshop dedicated to Linguistic Diversity.

More: www.intgovforum.org/cms/

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VOLUNTEERISM
Idealist.org launches the International Volunteerism Resource Centre
Idealist.org -- with ICVolunteers as an Advisory Board Member -- announces the launch of the International Volunteerism Resource Centre, a free and comprehensive online collection of information, opportunities, and all-things-useful for those interested in volunteering in another country. The primary goal of the International Volunteerism Resource Centre is to provide potential volunteers with the tools and resources needed to make informed decisions about meaningful, ethical, and sustainable international service. It also promotes international volunteering as an opportunity to do good with fellow global citizens while engaging in invaluable personal and professional development. New to the idea of volunteering abroad? Search or browse by country on idealist.org where you can find over 14,000 global volunteer opportunities!

More: www.idealist.org/ivrc

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AWARDS & SPECIAL THANKS

Ivo Napkin studies International Relations in Geneva (Switzerland) and has a big passion, photography. Recently, he decided to put his skills at the disposal of ICVolunteers. During the World Knowledge Dialogue (Crans-Montana, 10-13 September) and the World Microfinance Forum Geneva International Symposium (Geneva, 1-2 October) he helped in documenting the events with such a dedication and professionalism that we want to sincerely thank him and give him special mention. On 3rd October, one of his photos (a portrait of the Nobel Prize Muhammad Yunus) won him -- and us -- the first page of the magazine Le Temps!

The special award of Volunteer of the Month goes to Emilie Christenson, a 16 years old student at the International School of Geneva (Nations Campus), who helped us with enthusiasm during the World Blind Union (Geneva, 15-23 August) -- guiding blind and visually impaired delegates to and from the conference center to their hotels, during the World Cancer Congress (27-31 August) -- welcoming guests at the Opening Gala Dinner and Award Ceremony, and during the World Peace Day Concert (Geneva, 19- 21 September) -- cooking red Thai curry rice and serving customers!

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Up-coming projects

Eight interpreters for Spanish-English and French-English translations are needed for the upcoming General Assembly of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), which will be held from 19th to 25th of November in Geneva, Switzerland. (For more information, please, visit www.wilpf.ch and www.peacewomen.org). If you are an interpreter and wish to volunteer, please contact volunteer@icvolunteers.org or call +41 22 800 14 36.

Six interpreters English, French and Spanish are also needed for the International Conference of Jurists World Congress, which will be organised in Geneva, on 2-3 December 2008. (For more information, please, visit www.icj.org). If interested, please contact volunteer@icvolunteers.org or call +41 22 800 14 36.

Are you interested in discovering the humanitarian world? ICVolunteers is going to attend the Salon on Humanitarian and Solidarity Professions (Salon des métiers de l'humanitaire) in Annemasse, France, next 29-30 November. This will provide a great opportunity to establish contact with the 33 associations who will be present at the event and we are looking for volunteers to help run the ICV stand. For more information please call +41 22 800 14 36.