Conclusion
Canada's quality of life depends to a significant degree on volunteers
and voluntary organizations. Every day thousands of volunteers give
freely of their time, skills and energy for the benefit of people
and communities, helping to make Canada one of the best places in
the world to live. We are in danger of taking them and their contributions
for granted.
In the fast-paced life of the 21st century, it is important
for us to realize and acknowledge what volunteerism does for Canada
and for Canadians. The latest data that we have, the 2000 National
Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating, suggest that
volunteerism is in decline and there is much anecdotal evidence
to support this finding. We lost a million volunteers between
1997 and 2000. While we cannot fully explain why this decline
occurred or what it means for our collective future, we have to
ask ourselves whether we can afford to lose a million more.
The recommendations presented here cannot solve all of the challenges
that volunteers and voluntary organizations face. However, these
recommendations respond to a number of those challenges in a measured
and practical way. The Canada Volunteerism Initiative can be a
first - but crucial - step in a journey of renewal and partnership
between the Government of Canada and the voluntary sector.
