News from the ICV Desk in Brazil

On 10th November 2007, Converdgencia accepted the invitation from ICVolunteers to host a new desk of the international federation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The aim is to have an arm of ICVolunteers working hand in hand with Converdgencia. Since its launch, the ICV Desk has undertaken its first activities and is taking shape.

Converdgencia works in the field of Environmental Education, valuing commitments in favour of the environment. Its aim is to empower people, strengthening their knowledge, allowing purposeful solutions and activities, in line with economic and environmental social responsibility awareness raising.

The partnership with the ICVolunteers opens doors for Converdgencia and provides an opportunity to further develop national and international volunteer opportunities, linking knowledge with needs through an international network. Hopefully, this union will allow creating new ways of mobilizing resources and energy to combating social problems in Brazil. The objective is therefore also to develop tools for organizational management, highlighting results and impact of our interventions on society.

To begin with, Converdgencia through ICVolunteers intends to:

• Build on the existing database of volunteers, with initial focus on environmental issues;
• Train volunteers to meet environmental needs;
• Take resources to develop the activities described above, and
• Disseminate information quarterly as of 2008.

First actions

To celebrate the International Day of the Volunteer, 5 December 2007, in partnership with ICVolunteers, Converdgencia promoted a debate and a party in honor of their volunteers and partner institutions, the office of Candido Mendes University, in the Centre of Rio de Janeiro.

In addition to the commemoration, people talked about national and international commitments related to volunteerism. Examples are Hildon Carrapito of the Institute Aqualung and Julius Caesar, Jucá of the Society Spiritist Ramatis, who perform an excellent job with the help of volunteers.
After this event, we sent to our list of members the reports sent in by guests in order to spread the information about the new partnership with ICVolunteers.

In December 2007, the ICV Desk in Brazil had the pleasure to write a magazine article for "Just Change" about cybervolunteering in Brazil. The "Just Change" is a quarterly magazine on development and social justice that looks at issues related to human rights. It can be downloaded from www.dev-zone.org/justchange/ Proposals for action of the ICV Desk Brazil in the first quarter of 2008:

• Establishment of the Project "Flor Brasil" which aims to enhance digital inclusion related to social and environmental issues of ethnic minorities in Brazil;
• Implementation and adequacy of the project "Green Map" in a school in Rio de Janeiro, near the Tijuca National Park;
• Organization of the database on volunteers and capture of new members;
• Meeting for the promotion of environmental volunteering in Rio de Janeiro.

Renata Moraes
Executive Director of Converdgencia / ICV desk Brazil
+55 21 8824 2415
www.converdgencia.blogspot.com