Volunteerism

1. Volunteers shall participate on the basis of freely-expressed consent, and where children volunteers are involved, consent must be sought from the parents/guardians.
2. Volunteering shall not be carried out in expectation of any rewards, financial or material gain.
3. Volunteerism shall not be a substitute for labour. It shall compliment and shall not result in the downsizing and/or substituting.
4. Volunteerism shall be practiced with a certain degree of autonomy from authorities to safeguard its independence.
5. Volunteering shall be recognized as a legitimate way in which citizens participate actively in the development of communities for improved livelihoods.
6. Volunteering shall fundamentally promote human rights and equity.
7. Volunteerism shall be practiced based on respect for the rights, dignity and culture of the communities involved.
8. Volunteer recruitment shall be based on equal opportunity and non-discrimination.
9. Volunteerism shall be inspired by need to positively change communities, and guided by democratic, participative and caring social tenets.