Volunteers in Action

MANY people think that volunteering at sports events is trendy and fun, but it’s also a serious responsibility,” says Ren Yanling, who served as a volunteer at the 2004 Athens Olympics, and is due to help out at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. “We don’t get paid, we provide vital help, and we have little time to think about enjoyment.” She’s got a point – the term “volunteer” umbrellas a range of boring and sometimes menial tasks. “When I worked in Athens, there was no contract between the volunteer and the organizing committee. It was up to the volunteers themselves to decide when to show up and what to do.” As a lawyer, Ren Yanling has her own professional viewpoint. She says, “The Olympics is all about participation, and the volunteers reflect this spirit. Good volunteers need to have a deep understanding of the Olympic spirit.” Ren Yanling compares hosting the Olympics with holding a family banquet: “It helps if the food is good, but it’s more important that the host -- and particularly the guests -- thoroughly enjoy the occasion. The competitive events are the dishes, and the volunteers’ services create a comfortable atmosphere.”

Not long ago, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Volunteer Program officially started. Meanwhile, the Action Plan for the Beijing Olympic Games Volunteers was also launched. It aims to recruit volunteers among overseas Chinese, foreign nationals of Chinese origin, and compatriots in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.

At a press conference held by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG), vice chairman Li Binghua announced that volunteer recruitment will commence in August 2006 and end in April 2008. He said the committee will select candidates through public recruitment as well as from its own talent reserves. The former refers to those who apply through public channels such as the Internet, while the latter refers to authorized units that will be put in charge of training, selection and management of volunteers in accordance with the requirements set by the BOCOG.

According to Li Binghua, volunteers for the 2008 Beijing Olympics will be selected from ten general categories, including college students. The volunteers for sports events are direct participants serving the Beijing Olympics, and the posts include guest reception, translation, transportation, security, medical care, viewer guidance, material distribution, liaison, competition organization support, sports venue operation support, media operation support, and cultural activities support. In all, the BOCOG plans to recruit a total of 70,000 volunteers from around the world, and Beijing college students are to make up the mainstay.

The BOCOG has already drafted seven operational plans covering publicity, recruitment, public welfare practice, training, incentives, events operation and post operation.

Similar to those in Sydney and Athens, there will be two categories of volunteers for the Beijing Olympics: ordinary volunteers and professional volunteers. Ordinary volunteers will make up 60 percent of the total and work in the service field, while the professional volunteers will assume tasks in translation, technology, medicine, competition and transportation. Professional volunteers should hold relevant qualifications in the field of work they intend to apply for.

Overseas Chinese and International Friends – Precious Resources

When briefing the volunteer program to representatives of overseas Chinese and foreign nationals of Chinese origin, deputy secretary-general of the BOCOG Zhang Zhiwei said the program has been well received by all concerned. All of the BOCOG staff were inspired and moved by that response.

Zhang Zhiwei says that since BOCOG was founded, it has been flooded with emails, letters and phone calls from overseas Chinese around the world, expressing their willingness to volunteer at the Beijing Olympics. What’s most impressive is that these communications have come from people of all walks of life, including the elderly, students, teachers, doctors and policemen from both home and abroad. Grandparents have submitted applications on behalf of

their overseas grandchildren, and BOCOG has also received collective applications from groups of overseas Chinese and people of Chinese descent that are involved in public welfare organizations, schools and societies. Regardless of their age, gender, occupation or nationality, all have expressed a sincere desire to contribute to the Beijing Olympics.

This large Diaspora that now numbers 50 million is a hugely precious resource to the Olympics organizers. All are familiar with the customs and cultures of different countries and regions, and they have rich experience in trans-cultural communications and language advantages. The core group of overseas volunteers for the Beijing Olympics will be made up of these enthusiasts.

The BOCOG will also recruit volunteers from various countries and regions around the world, including foreigners who reside in Beijing. Supported by relevant government departments, it will entrust local organizations or societies to recruit foreign volunteers and carry out the necessary training and management. Roll on 2008!