Who/Mission
The International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) is an international non-governmental organization that promotes, celebrates, and strengthens volunteerism worldwide. IAVE has currently approximately 800 individual and organizational members in about 100 countries.

What?
IAVE offers a range of services and other benefits to members, including:

*Newsletter and publications
*Exchanges of experience
*Biennual world conference
*Regional conferences across the world
*Contacts

Structure
IAVE has a Board of Directors, elected by its members in each region.

It also has National Representatives in some 60 countries worldwide and a growing number of national associations.

History
IAVE was founded in 1970 by a small group of women from throughout the world who shared a common vision of how volunteers can contribute to the solution of human and social problems, as well as to the development of bridges of understanding among people of all nations and walks of life. They recognized the importance of international exchange of information, best practices and mutual support as a way of encouraging and strengthening volunteerism worldwide.

Working in close cooperation with the United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV) throughout 1997, IAVE built support among its members and their governments for resolution GA RES/52/17 offered by the government of Japan, which resulted in the General Assembly's declaration of the International Year of Volunteers 2001 (IYV 2001). IAVE's members worldwide made a major contribution to IYV 2001.

The 16th IAVE World Conference in January 2001 in Amsterdam marked the opening of the Year and IAVE closed the year with a world Youth Summit in Tokyo in December 2001, organized by IAVE Japan.

IAVE was pleased to participate in the International Symposium on Volunteering (ISV 2001) and a follow-up seminar in Bonn in June 2002.

Priorities / initiatives
One positive outcome of the Year has been the signing of the memorandum of understanding between IAVE, CIVICUS and UNV. This is in line with IAVE's commitment to work in partnership with other organizations.

A similar memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Association for Volunteer Administration (AVA) and with the European Volunteer Center (CEV). IAVE is a strategic partner in the engage initative on corporate volunteering.

IAVE is also a member of the working group on volunteering and new information and communication technologies created in view of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

(From www.iave.org)