Win-Win – The exchange of gifts

 

There are about 6000 volunteers involved in CCPA every year. It is therefore at fact that a great amount of people for one or the other reason have chosen to be involved in CCPA. But why have they chosen this?  

 

During the last year, we in CCPA have been working with this question. We have found that the theory of ‘gift-exchange’ is both a helpful tool to investigate the relation between CCPA and our volunteers and an exact way of describing this relationship. The basic idea in the theory is that any relation is based on exchange. And that a natural consequence from the receiver of a gift, is to correspond by giving a gift back. In this way the exchange of gift provides the possibility for the involved parts to be a part of a dynamic, continually and open relationship.

 

Our claim is that neither we (CCPA) or the volunteer act on altruistic motives alone, but that both parts expect to get something in return for their work together (for their effort). Seeing that the relationship between CCPA and our volunteers is not based on an economic exchange, we suggest that the relation is base on non economical gifts. Gift are not necessarily a materialistic ting it can also be services or similar.
Based on many years of field experiences and the theoretical focus on ’gift – exchange’ we have tried to get a clearer picture of the character of the gifts exchanged between the volunteers and CCPA - described below.

 

Equipment
In connection to all OFFS CCPA distribute clothes and equipment to the volunteers. This is a concrete example showing how CCPA take on the role as a giver, and in this way jumpstarts a relationship to the volunteers. Based on two fieldworks in Lebanon and Macedonia containing several interviews, we think that the distribution of equipment plays an important part in the volunteers decision to engage them self in CCPA and is a way to offer them an ownership feeling of the project.

 

But the distribution of equipment is far from the only factor that has a say in the binding string in the relation between the volunteer and CCPA. This is supported by the fact that CCPA isn´t the only NGO that distribute equipment. Fx; Gam3 is a NGO that works with basket in Lebanon, and tries like CCPA to base its work on volunteer work. But they have a hard time recruiting and keeping volunteers in their work. Gam3 like CCPA distribute equipment but still CCPA has about 100-200 volunteers in Lebanon and Gam3 has only 6. This comparison emphasise that the equipment CCPA gives only partly explain the huge volunteer engagement that CCPA experiences. 

 

In our surge we therefore often ask our volunteers why they have chosen to be involved in CCPA. The intention with this question is to get a verbal expression of the volunteers subjective interpretation of their own acts, and what they understands as ‘gifts’ from CCPA. We have heard many answers to this question, but in this article we will bring out the most frequent answers and, inspired by Bjarne Ibsens motive dimensions, gather them in 5 primary gifts.

 

Passion
I love football.
That is the most common answer the involved in CCPA gives. They express gratitude towards that CCPA offers the possibility to carry out their passion with regard to a. providing equipment, and b. providing a structural possibility by bringing many local and national stakeholders into play. 

 

Education
CCPA offers free education to all volunteer coaches and coordinators. All coaches needs to undergo at least 60 h. of education. The teaching involves partly concrete games and sports technical advises and partly children pedagogic. Lots of the volunteers have expressed that this educational program is very important and useful for them not only within CCPA but elsewhere in their everyday life. Especially all our volunteers that work as teachers tell how the knowledge from the CCPA-seminars has a direct relevance in their normal jobs.  

 

Networks
CCPA facilitates a concrete frame in where volunteers become a part of an already existing functional network (crossing normal divisions in the context), and a frame in where the involved have the possibility to expand their network.

 

Personal development
Through educational programmes, practical experience and network building CCPA offers a platform from where the volunteers experience a personal growth and extension of personal values and views. This is based on several personal stories and statements from volunteers.

 

Meaningful work
Many volunteers express that they feel that their involvement in CCPA makes a difference and makes sense in their local setting and personal life. Most commonly they mention that their effort in CCPA is meaningful because they can help children who have grown up during war, by giving them a chance to play and have fun, and that they through CCPA and sports help unite people in their country.
Although it might be an un-specific gift, the ‘gift’ of providing a way to do good is highly valued among the volunteers. 

 

 

Time
One of the fundamental principles of CCPA is that all trainers and assistants have to be volunteers. Our survival criteria are therefore to recruit volunteers and enter into a sustainable teamwork with them in all our countries.

The time the volunteers give can therefore be regarded as a gift from the volunteers to CCPA and recognition of that the volunteer actively invests in the relation. 

 

Ambassadors of CCPA
Aside from time CCAP expects other kinds of ‘gifts’ from the volunteers. We wish to work on a grassroots basis and that can only be done if the volunteers respect our basic values and deal with them with responsibility. Furthermore we hope that the volunteers extent our view on reconciliation in their everyday life, and in this way they become and work as ambassadors of CCPA.

 

Networks
Above we advocated for that CCPA offers the volunteers an expansion of their networks, on the other hand one of the most significant gifts that the volunteers offer CCPA is their local anchored network. First of all this is important in connection to recruiting new volunteers - the most typical answer our volunteers offer, when asked why he or she became a part of CCPA, is, because my friend told me about the project and asked me. Secondly the networks have a great important in spreading out our values in everyday settings – this is especially clear with regard to volunteers that on an everyday basis work with children.

Conclusion
On the basis of great knowledge to the field and several structured interviews with volunteers from different countries we have listed some bid for how both parts contribute in building up an open relation, by reviewing the characteristics of the relation between the volunteers and CCPA that we think of as dynamic because both parts actively receive and give.

 

In the following four articles we have given the volunteers voice to tell about why they are involved in the OFFS and what difference it makes for them in their life.