IVCO 2023: WELCOME TO THE SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT SERIES
Welcome to the IVCO 2023 Speaker Spotlight! In this series, we aim to give you an opportunity to meet exceptional speakers who will inspire change at our conference in the dynamic city of Kuala Lumpur.
As we gear up for IVCO, we’re excited to give you a sneak peek into our speakers’ brilliant minds and remarkable journeys. These individuals are not just experts; they are the architects of change and ready to share their wisdom with you at the conference.
Our theme for IVCO 2023 is “A New Generation of Volunteers as Changemakers” is an invitation to explore the evolving role of volunteers in shaping a better world. In this series, we will introduce you to outstanding speakers, their accomplishments, the causes that fuel their passion, and how their work aligns with the central theme of IVCO 2023. From grassroots movements to academia and international policy shaping, their stories are bound to inspire and provoke thought.
Join us as we unveil the first group of our esteemed speakers of the Spotlight series, and get ready to be motivated, inspired and empowered by these change catalysts who will grace the stage at IVCO 2023.
MEET OUR SPEAKERS
Prof. Rebecca Tiessen
Professor, University of Ottawa
Rebecca Tiessen is a Professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies and Director of the Gender, Peace and Security Collaboratory at the University of Ottawa. Her research and teaching focus on youth and women as agents of change for gender equality, peace and security. She has more than 100 publications focusing on gender and development and youth volunteering. Her most recent edited collection is titled: Innovations in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment: Understanding the Role of International Development Volunteers as Transnational Actors, co-authored with Benjamin J. Lough, Tiffany Laursen, Khursheed Sadar, (eds.), 2021), Germany: Nomos.
MEET THE SPEAKER: DAY 1, BREAKOUT PANEL SESSION 1: ENGAGING AND RETAINING A NEW GENERATION OF VOLUNTEERS
Dr. Wan Ahmad Hazman Bin Wan Daud
Deputy Chairman II, Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS)
Hazman holds a doctorate in land administration and development from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia after completing a study entitled the Orang Asli land ownership framework in Peninsular Malaysia. Hazman is currently serving as Deputy Chairman 2 of Yayasan Sukarelawan Siswa (YSS) / Student Volunteers Foundation, Ministry of National Unity. Hazman was actively involved in realising YSS missions, which were to develop Malaysia as a student volunteer hub and produce student volunteer leaders as icons for the global stage. Currently, YSS has completed more than 52 volunteering missions in Sabah, Sarawak, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and France, as well as training thousands of volunteers nationally and internationally.
MEET THE SPEAKER: DAY 1, BREAKOUT PANEL SESSION 1: ENGAGING AND RETAINING A NEW GENERATION OF VOLUNTEERS
Dr. Tapiwa Kamuruko
Policy Specialist, United Nations Volunteers (UNV)
Tapiwa Kamuruko is a Policy Specialist and Team Lead on Evidence and Knowledge brokering with the United Nations Volunteers, based at its Headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Prior to his current assignment, he has worked in different UNV assignments including being the Regional Manager for East and Southern based in Nairobi-Kenya. Tapiwa is the lead in the preparation of knowledge products at UNV including the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report. He works with various partners to position volunteerism on development frameworks. In 2022 he led UNV and ILO collaboration in a joint effort towards a paper on Youth Volunteering for employability skills development and entry into the job market.
MEET THE SPEAKER: DAY 2, BREAKOUT PANEL SESSION 3: YOUTH VOLUNTEERING PROGRAMMES AS A ROUTE TO EMPLOYMENT AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP