VIVID: Technical Assistance in Humanitarian Response, Ensuring Valuable International Volunteering and Inclusion of persons with Disabilities. Update on our activities, consortium collaboration and shared learning.

Since our first consortium meeting in March, the consortium has partaken in two further activities. Firstly, the partners undertook an assessment process to identify which gaps they need to fill in order to guide their future learning in accessibility, humanitarian action and volunteer management. They were prompted to stimulate inclusive dialogues with staff members not directly involved in their programme or project work. Following their assessment each partner created an action plan which identified possible strategies to build their capacity in these three key areas.

Secondly, in order to share learnings we lead two insightful VIVID webinars – 1) Enhancing Disability Inclusive Practices in Humanitarian Action and Volunteer Management 2) Challenges in Inclusive Volunteering under Covid-19. All the speakers involved were truly engaging and shared their valuable expertise and experiences. The first webinar welcomed Loredana Dicsi, an Internal Communications & Membership Officer, who discussed the impact on volunteering as a person with disability. In the second webinar we heard from Vibhu Sharma who is part of the UNV talent programme working in the policy section of the office of Human Resources. She summarised the benefits of the UN volunteering programme and the experience of volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, planning is underway to launch a research report on international volunteering and disability inclusion. This is a key event for the project’s national learning and dissemination events activity. The report was developed by Charlotte Thumser, a Volunteering Programme and Advocacy Advisor in CBM Ireland. During a VIVID webinar Charlotte is quoted as saying “A volunteer with a disability can help disappear barriers and support local organisations to promote their own way”. Therefore, the report findings on the challenges/barriers and benefits of inclusive volunteerism continuously inform the VIVID project which also recognises the value of more inclusive volunteering and humanitarian practices.

The next activities on VIVID’s horizon remain focused on enhancing collaboration and shared learnings. The consortium recognise that a key project aim is to build organisational capacity within the areas of disability inclusion, volunteering and humanitarian response. Presently, the VIVID online community of practice website has created a space for partners to share training resources and informative media blogs. In the coming weeks a planned workshop will provide partners with a face-to-face opportunity to reflect upon the previous activity which encouraged them to think about which gaps need to be filled in order to guide their future learning. The consortium will come together to openly discuss their thoughts or challenges they faced, and to receive advice on how to best implement their action plans.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the VIVID Consortium to adapt how it implements activities. Although difficulties remain, the partners are motivated to stay innovative in their work approaches. As a project model for the EU all the partners remain committed to introducing disability inclusion in humanitarian action and volunteering using the best method.

Visit our website: https://www.cbm.ie/vivid

VIVID: An Update on our Projects