Since 2001, when the United Nations designated an “International Year of Volunteers”, China’s public perception of volunteering, particularly among its youth, has evolved.
“That put volunteerism on the map in China, so to speak,” said Yawei Liu, director of the Carter Center’s China Program in Atlanta. “All the party and state agencies and departments joined the chorus and the whole country was mobilized to make this a part of a new China.”
Yawei Liu: Volunteerism in Asia
Yawei Liu, director of the Carter Center’s China Program in Atlanta, talks about the state of vollunteerism in China.In the past decade, millions of Chinese have volunteered during key national events in the country, bringing increased attention to social services and the country’s development goals. Some Chinese college students also looked for volunteer opportunities abroad.
“Many of them wanted to go outside of China, to African countries and other developing countries to volunteer their services,” explained Liu.
From Atlanta, Yawei Liu joined Mike Walter in our New York studio to discuss the state of volunteerism in China and what the next generation may bring.