Finding Our Profession

One of our most significant problems as a profession is that we cannot find each other. It is difficult to speak to or for a constituency we can't always find. We don't always know where to throw our pearls of wisdom and we don't usually have the kind of numbers (of professionals, that is) that impress politicians, funding sources, the media, or others we need to educate or to whom we need to advocate. Finally there are a lot more professionals out there to whom leadership could be listening or from whom leadership could be learning. So how do we find ourselves and then mobilize our forces?

My experience in organized volunteerism is mainly in North America and that is what this article is about. I believe this is an important segment of organized volunteerism but am fully aware the experience of other nations is equally important and I'd like to hear about that in order to learn from both the similarities and the differences.