Research capacity-building workshop on civic service and volunteering in southern Africa planned for 2007

By: Salah Elzein Mohamed [1]

Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa (VOSESA) is organising a research capacity-building workshop on civic service in Johannesburg between 14 and 16 March 2007. The workshop comes as the third and final phase of a research project on civic service and volunteering in five southern African countries: Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The aim of the research project was to study the extent and pattern of civic service and volunteering in five countries in the SADC region, and to build regional research capacity in this field.

The workshop is funded by the Mott Foundation and its main objectives are to:

• identify priorities for research and capacity building in the field of service and volunteering in SADC and possible strategies for a way forward;
• strengthen the research capacity in the field of service and volunteering in SADC;
• build the research agenda for service and volunteering in SADC;
• develop a funding strategy for research on civic service and volunteering in the region; and
• strengthen the service and volunteering research network in the region by developing a research strategy.

The opening of the workshop will see the launch of a joint special issue of the Journal for Social Development in Africa and Social Worker Practitioner Researcher that contains articles based on the findings from the five-country study on civic service and volunteering in southern Africa.

Key international and regional figures in the field of service and volunteering are being invited to participate in the workshop.

As mentioned, the research capacity-building workshop marks the final phase of VOSESA’s five-country study on civic service and volunteering in the SADC region. The first phase of the project involved undertaking the study in Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe in collaboration with the Centre for Social Development in Africa at the University of Johannesburg. The study was funded by the Global Service Institute at the Centre for Social Development, Washington University in St Louis, Missouri, USA.

The second phase of the project involved the synthesis of the findings of research in the five countries and planning for the dissemination of the findings. A research meeting was held with the researchers from the five countries on 11 and 12 August 2006 to discuss the country reports and to synthesise the overall findings of the study. That research meeting was funded by the University of Johannesburg.

In August 2006 VOSESA held a research meeting with the researchers from the five countries to discuss the country reports and synthesise the overall findings of the Five-Country Study on Civic Service and Volunteering in southern Africa. Attending the meeting from left to right is Catherine Moleni (Malawi), Prof. Edwin Kaseke (Zimbabwe), Prof. Leila Patel (University of Johannesburg), Helene Perold (VOSESA), René Pretorius (University of Johannesburg), Theresa Wilson (Zambia) and Salah Elzein Mohamed (VOSESA). Dr Morena Rankopo from Botswana was unable to attend.