Tenth International Conference of the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR)
Fondazione ForTeS – Fondazione Scuola di alta Formazione per il Terzo Settore
July 10-13, 2012, Siena, Italy | Conference Site: University of Siena
“Democratization, Marketization, and the Third Sector”
This Tenth International Conference of ISTR marks the 20th anniversary of the formation of this global community of scholars and interested others dedicated to the creation, discussion, and advancement of knowledge pertaining to the Third Sector and its impact on human and planetary well-being and development internationally.
In this era of far-reaching changes in the way that societies are organized, the Third Sector is playing a critical role and has significantly gained importance in many countries. Democratization and the role  of  civil  society in social integration and participation are in the spotlight with recent mobilizations particularly in the Middle East and ongoing suppression of civil society under authoritarian regimes in parts of the world.  New media, social networks and other technological innovations raise new opportunities and challenges for organizing collective action and the diversity of  civil society. Marketization and its impact on the Third Sector is attracting renewed research interest as welfare budgets are cut and the role of nonprofits is called into question in difficult fiscal times in many nations.  A second  type  of marketization is also attracting attention particularly the growth of corporate social responsibility (CSR), the emergence of  social enterprises and changing philanthropic  paradigms. International research toward a better understanding of the implications of these changes continues to gather momentum. Read More »

This Manual on the Measurement of Volunteer Work is intended to guide countries in generating systematic and comparable data on volunteer work via regular supplements to labour force surveys. The objective is to improve and make available data on a significant form of work that is growing in importance but that is often ignored or rarely captured in traditional economic statistics. Doing so will help to fulfill the mandate set forth in a resolution by the UN General Assembly to ‘enhance the knowledge base’ about volunteer work and to ‘establish the economic value of volunteering.’ Read More »

There are not specific guidelines on how to write your papers for the Tenth International Conference of ISTR: we suggest you to have a look at papers that are part of the Conference Working Papers Series of our previous International Conferences on www.istr.org/?page=WPSeries.
For those who would like to know how to present the papers, download here the Paper Guidelines 2012.

The first State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme was launched at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, on 5 December 2011 and about 80 countries around the world.

The SWVR promotes a better understanding of volunteerism. It demonstrates the universality, scope and reach of volunteerism along with new trends in the twenty-first century. The report examines important contributions in diverse fields such as sustainable livelihoods, social inclusion, social cohesion and disaster risk reduction. By suggesting how volunteerism can be taken forward, the SWVR also provides an alternative vision of a better society. Read More »

The survey is part of a project which aims to Raise the Effectiveness of Volunteering in Europe through Adult Learning (REVEAL). REVEAL will develop multi-lingual self assessment tools and training courses designed to strengthen the skills base of both volunteers and volunteer managers, throughout Europe. This resource will be freely available to anyone who would like to use it. The project is funded by the European Commission.
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Nonprofit and advocacy organizations make an important contribution to the social, political, and economic landscapes around the world. However, public relations professionals in nonprofit sectors often face unique challenges related to resources and stakeholder relationships, among other things. Building knowledge about best practices for nonprofit practitioners is critical for the public relations field. This call seeks scholarly articles that explore the role of public relations in nonprofit organizations as well as the contribution of nonprofit communication to society. Of particular interest are articles that explore relationship cultivation with stakeholders, distinctive aspects of social media use among nonprofits, variance in communication strategies among types of nonprofit organizations, and public relations activities of national and international NGOs.
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