Somebody asked me what I think about starting a "new AVA" or something to that extent. I took the name of the sender off and posted what I replied here.
Hello,
The biggest of my concerns are the ones I blogged about here:
http://gionnetto.blogspot.com/2006/03/beware-of-nice-people.html
http://gionnetto.blogspot.com/2006/03/beware-of-honest-people.html
Namely, that either the new AVA would be a replica of the former “nice” one, OR that it would be a creature of spiteful anger without constructive criticism. I think that the biggest reason for AVA’s demise was the *lack* of conflict management skills, in a way or in the opposite, lack of skills that is also reflected in the way some members of CyberVPM “contribute” to the forum (on *both* the “nice” and the “angry” sides).
I think the new AVA would have to preserve and take care of both the CVA program and the JoVA, but being open to anything coming from the field, *especially* when the field is open to reflect on its practice rather than just saying/thinking “that’s the way it is because *I* think so”.
I wouldn’t be open to help building anything that is divisive in nature or in methods. I also don’t believe in “experts” telling the rest of people how to behave, feel, and think, so I wouldn’t support any organization that has a top-down approach.
I think the best venue to organize the new AVA from is CyberVPM, because it’s the only place in which a real and large community is already present. However I stay open to any other venue having a community or forming one for this purpose.
Finally, though I think times are ripe for discussion of and about a new AVA, I don’t think the time has come for founding a new organization, because no time for reflection on our present and past practices has passed yet.
You are invited to help shape the future of the volunteer management profession in the US by participating in a 10-minute electronic survey.
The survey was developed by the Survey Work Group of VRM Roundtable, a community of more than 300 colleagues who have come together to engage in open, professional-level dialog and collaboration on the possible formation of a new professional association for volunteer resources managers and others with a stake in US volunteer management. Your colleagues at VRM Roundtable are discussing these issues:
--What would be the attributes and characteristics of a professional organization that optimally serves the US community of volunteer resources managers?
--What is the process whereby such an organization should be created?
--How can diverse stakeholders be brought together to bring about the efficient formation and development of such an organization?
The survey is available on the home page of the VRM Roundtable web site, at http://vrm-roundtable.org. Survey results will be published to the VRM Roundtable website, and will be in the public domain for all to view and make use of.
