Bonn, Germany: The civil society sector in a wide range of countries contributes about as much to gross domestic product as do the construction and finance industries and twice as much as the utilities industry, according to a Johns Hopkins University report released Tuesday at the first "Global Assembly on Measuring Civil Society and Volunteering" in Bonn, Germany.  Read article

A new study by VolunteerMatch looks for keys to unlock the generosity of the Me Generation. It's findings include high expectations, skilled volunteers and the internet playing a huge role in the future of volunteering.   Read article

Geneva, Switzerland: Volunteerism is an important contributor to economic development and needs closer measurement, says the Director of the Statistics Bureau of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr. Sylvester Young.  Read article

London, UK: A group of companies recently launched, ENGAGE Toolkit, a comprehensive guide to internationalise emlpoyee engagement for companies and NGOs.  Read article

VOSESA has conducted a cross-national study on civic service and volunteering in five southern African countries: Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The study focused on the form and extent of civic service programmes in these countries.  Read article

This research demonstrates how different actors in the South African region are co-operating to address the human development challenges in the five countries - Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The service initiatives reported on contribute to developing knowledge and good practice, and demonstrate the role that service and volunteering can play in promoting the achievement of national social development goals and priorities.   Read article

Washington D.C., USA: The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research has found a significant connection between volunteering and good health. The report shows that volunteers have greater longevity, higher functional ability, lower rates of depression and less incidence of heart disease.  Read article

Maryland, USA: The International Labour Organization and the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civil Society Studies today announced an agreement to develop an approach for putting volunteer work on the economic map for the first time. Also announced was a start-up grant from the United Nations Volunteers to help underwrite this effort.   Read article

Wellington, New Zealand: A research report launched today will lead to a better understanding of volunteering and unpaid work from a Maori perspective, says Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector Luamanuvao Winnie Laban.   Read article

Wellington, New Zealand: A new report showing that 90 per cent of non-profit organisations in New Zealand are run entirely by unpaid volunteers proves how important these people are to our society, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Luamanuvao Winnie Laban said today.  Read article