SEATTLE - In the wake of a report indicating that American philanthropy is at its highest level in six years, representatives of foreign governments, private voluntary organizations, corporations, academic institutions, and national policy makers from around the world are gathering for the Third Annual International Roundtable on Service and Volunteering at the Microsoft Corporate Headquarters in Redmond, Washington on June 20th.

The theme of the 2006 International Roundtable, convened by the Corporation for National and Community Service, Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network (POLF) and the Office of Volunteers for Prosperity (VfP) at U.S. Agency for International Development, is “Strengthening Volunteer Models and Private Sector Collaboration in Global Disaster Readiness, Response and Rebuilding.” The annual conference is the largest gathering of international volunteer service leaders in the United States.

The conference is especially timely in light of the report by the Giving USA foundation that the increased level of American philanthropy was the result of urgent needs created by three natural disasters – the tsunami in Asia, earthquake in Pakistan and Hurricanes Rita, Katrina and Wilma.

“Over the last two years, we’ve seen how important volunteers are to disaster response, both in the United States and throughout the world,” said Bob Goodwin, president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation. “In times of international emergency, we need trained volunteers to respond quickly to alleviate the suffering of people whose lives have been turned upside down by tsunamis, hurricane and earthquakes. Sending volunteers to respond to these situations would result in a disaster within a disaster.”

David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, added, “The disasters we have witnessed over the last few years have shown us what volunteers can do -- respond quickly, take on difficult tasks, and put recovery efforts on sound footing. Volunteers have responded in resounding numbers after Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia. Organizations that respond to disasters need to be prepared for the next wave of emergencies, while continuing their response to recovery efforts.

“The focus of this year’s event highlights the importance of better collaboration among disaster response leadership in government, the private sector and NGO communities,” said Jack Hawkins, Director, Office of Volunteers for Prosperity at the US Agency for International Development. “The goal we all share is to leave this event with a better sense of how we can best work together utilizing all available resources.”

The key objectives of this year’s roundtable are to demonstrate promising models of international volunteer collaborations; build a global disaster volunteer network; highlight lessons learned from recent disasters such as the South Asia tsunami, Pakistan earthquake, Hurricane Katrina; and enhance corporate philanthropy and employee volunteerism. The event will culminate in the creation of an agenda for action to include development of collaborative tools for effective response to future disasters.

John Barry, author of “Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927and How it Changed America” and “The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History,” will be the keynote speaker during the opening luncheon. Barry, who lives in New Orleans, La., has been active in helping his hometown recover from the devastating effect of Hurricane Katrina.

Other speakers include David Eisner, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service and Robert Goodwin, president and CEO of the Points of Light Foundation.

The 2006 International Roundtable is made possible by the support of the UPS Foundation, Pacific Northwest Economic Region, and the Center for Social Development at Washington University, as well as by the active participation of leading NGOs and international service organizations including International Association for Volunteer Effort, Service for Peace, Universal Peace Federation, Youth Service America and others.

The one-day event follows the National Conference on Volunteering and Service June 18-20 in Seattle, Washington. The conference was convened by the Points of Light Foundation & Volunteer Center National Network and the Corporation for National and Community Service.

The Points of Light Foundation supports the millions of volunteers who are helping to solve serious social problems in thousand of communities nationwide. For more information about volunteer opportunities call or visit http://www.1-800-volunteer.org.

The Corporation for National and Community Service strive to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering by promoting opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to serve their communities and country. The Corporation administers the Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs. Together with the USA Freedom Corps, the Corporation is working to build a culture of citizenship, service and responsibility in America. For more information, visit http://www.nationalservice.gov.

Volunteers for Prosperity was established by Executive Order in September 2003.  VfP works with leading U.S. non-profits and companies to deploy highly skilled American professionals in volunteer opportunities that support the global health and prosperity goals of the U.S. Government.  VfP is part of the USA Freedom Corps, the White House’s coordinating council on volunteerism.  For more information, please visit www.volunteersforprosperity.gov. 

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EDITORS NOTE: For interviews, contact Jack Hawkins at Volunteers for Prosperity/USAID: 202-712-5941.