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Government Relations/Codes
Developing a Rational National Approach to Issues Affecting Volunteers
We have been privileged to travel internationally during the past few years, which gives us a very different perspective on volunteerism than anyone working only in their home country. Unfortunately, we admit to being close to despair about what is - or, rather, isn't - happening in the United States right now, particularly in comparison to other countries. The total lack of interest by the American federal government in the International Year of Volunteers is only one indicator of the problem, but before we simply complain, we need to determine exactly what we need and want from government to assist in our efforts to promote volunteering.
"Getting Involved: The Home Office's Research on the Active Community in England and Wales"
This article outlines several volunteer-related research projects currently underway in the United Kingdom, initiated and funded by the government. There are as yet no findings to report, but e-Volunteerism feels the article will be useful to our readers as a model for how government research can support volunteer efforts. This is quite connected to the Points of View topic that appears elsewhere in this issue. The questions raised toward the end of the article for "future study" are provocative and we hope they will start other researchers thinking about additional ways to study issues of direct usefulness to practitioners. We will, of course, keep readers informed as the reports promised below become available.