With rapid development of transportation and communication technology, today's world has become a global community. As a result, the dependence among countries has been increased accordingly. Therefore, problems such as poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, and ...
With rapid development of transportation and communication technology, today's world has become a global community. As a result, the dependence among countries has been increased accordingly. Therefore, problems such as poverty, hunger, HIV/AIDS, and environmental issues are not limited to an individual country, it is rather shared by the global community. In an effort to resolve such issues and contribute to socio-economic development of developing countries, the international community has committed itself to increase the volume of official development assistance(ODA).
Having successfully passed from recipient to donor, Korea intends to share its unique development experience with international development community by scaling up its ODA volume.
The Korea Overseas Volunteers(KOVs) program of the Korea International Cooperation Agency(KOICA), which is a part of the Korean government's official development assistance(ODA) program, has a great significance as the largest overseas volunteers program sponsored by the Korean government, which lasts for 2-year. Since the first dispatch in 1990, it has grown into a Korea's national brand with the government's continuing support and dedicated contributions of thousands of volunteers.
However, despite the needs for its improvement according to the change in the nature of international development, the KOVs has expanded only in quantitative terms while lacking qualitative improvement such as a stable and institutionalized implementation system. Thus, problems such as a lack of adequate demand, competent human resources, and management staff in field constantly arise due to weak support system. In addition, partnerships with NGOs lack a holistic approach and the post-KOV care program for returning volunteers is still limited in the same regard.
Therefore, this research aims to grasp the current status and realities of the KOVs program in comparison with that of other donors' programs, and identify future perspectives to maximize the impact of the KOVs.
First of all, the KOVs program should define its solid mandate and outlook. As an integral part of the Korean government's ODA, the KOVs program has been playing an important role in the areas where have been largely ignored by private sector. However, from the nature, it is inevitably influenced by changes in government policies, and such influence could lead to impediments in the coherence of its operation and interfere with the consistency and sustainability of the program. The original spirits of volunteering ("Share & Care" and "Respect & Warm-hearted") are often neglected and recruitment and training system of volunteers still needs improvement. Therefore, it is necessary to redefine the current motto of the KOVs Program ("Share & Care") and pursue more concrete goals.
Second, we should improve the KOVs operational system. As the program is operated through the participation of dedicated Korean citizens, it is important to improve its operational system in order to effectively support the volunteers' activities from their recruitment to after their return to Korea.
Third, we should establish a well-structured reintegration system for returning volunteers. Career incentives and financial compensation for overseas volunteers could bring about controversy, considering impairment of the original spirit of volunteering. However, given that the KOVs program is a long-term overseas program and returning volunteers come back not only with personal memories but also with various cultural experiences and competent foreign language skills, our society could greatly benefit from KOVs through an effective reintegration system.
Fourth, we should devise a more effective promotion mechanism for the KOVs program. As the program itself is initiated by participation of people, it is important to make it convenient to access information about the program and formulate a need-oriented promotion tool targeting each potential volunteer. Furthermore, in order to attract qualified volunteers, it is crucial to strengthen partnerships with the private sector, local governments and universities, and increase public awareness and consensus of the program.
KOVs live and work in local communities of KOICA's partner countries and share their expertise and passion for international development. At present, 1,500 KOVs are working in 45 countries around the world including those in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the CIS and the Middle East. The KOVs program, a part of the Korean government's ODA, aims to improve the lives of people in developing countries and promote public awareness and participation in development cooperation in Korea. Besides its social benefits, fruitful experiences and a broader view of the world that volunteers gain through the program greatly contribute to their future career development. In this regard, the KOVs program has a great importance. It will not only serve as a stepping stone for Korea's diplomacy and greatly contribute to increasing understanding of Korea.