Volunteering for whose benefit?

John Butler Trio, Missy Higgins, Crowded House, Good Vibrations Festival: pick me, pick me, pick me! Keith Urban: deathly silence. No offence to and nothing implied about Keith Urban and his music; his target audience and fan base is simply not the young Uni crowd. But, should that deter young social justice campaigners from volunteering their time and skills? Or, are we at the stage where volunteering is a selective experience: the key question is 'what's in it for me'? The question then is WHY do people volunteer? I naively thought that it was a blanket active optimism and hope for a fairer and better world, and to simply donate one's time and skills for helping others, unconditionally and without expectation.

Witnessing the shift in volunteering mentality on a Uni campus over the last few years has changed my views. I'd rather not admit a generation gap between myself and the young 'uns, but perhaps that's exactly what it is. To attract the current 'me me me' generation, you have to offer them something in return. And apparently a free ticket to a Keith Urban gig is not enough. So what is? Recognition? Kudos? A certificate? A medal?

Volunteering is probably considered to be essentially selfish by the cynical, as you do make yourself feel better by helping others or promoting worthwhile causes. But, we are now dealing with a whole new level of selfishness: the 'feel good' factor is not enough. Has it ever been enough? Uni clubs often reel in new executives and members by pulling the line 'it'll look good on your CV!'. What about simply contributing and giving back to the Uni community and reviving the waning, expensive social atmosphere (thanks VSU!)? Has the nature of volunteering changed such that volunteers look for self-gain or self-promotion over (or disguised within) helping others - in that case, who are you really helping? Or have I just had my head in the sand? Probably.

Don't even get me started on religious motivations for volunteering: fear of external damnation and refused salvation by one's chosen Lord by not spreading the word through actions, or even worse, community work or aid with a religious agenda. That's a rant worthy of its own post.