Beijing Women's Federation

The International Dialogue on Volunteering for Resilient Recovery" is held at Beijing International Studies University.

On May 31, 2021, the International Dialogue on Volunteering for Resilient Recovery was held at Beijing International Studies University (BISU). The event was sponsored by the Beijing Volunteer Service Federation (BVSF). It included both online and offline activities for a dialogue among voluntary agencies and organizations in China and the Asia-Pacific region and central and eastern Europe on the experience and effectiveness of voluntary services for epidemic prevention and control.

Representatives of the Beijing Women's Federation (BWF), the Beijing municipal committee of the Communist Youth League and the Beijing People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, as well of universities, enterprises, communities and voluntary service organizations, voluntary service experts and overseas students in China participated in the event at BISU.

The event was also strongly supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), and the International Association for Volunteers (IAVE).

Li Xueying, Party branch secretary of Xiangmiwan community, Konggang sub-district, in Beijing's Shunyi District, shares anti-epidemic stories with the audience.

Recommended by the BWF, Li Xueying, Party branch secretary of Xiangmiwan community, Konggang sub-district, in Beijing's Shunyi District, participated in the "cloud dialogue" session of "community and professional voluntary service" as a representative of the capital's women volunteers.

With representatives of voluntary service organizations in Beijing, as well as others from Russia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Thailand, Singapore, India and Malaysia, Li shared the anti-epidemic stories of the Xiangmiwan community.

The Xiangmiwan community has more than 200 foreign residents from 34 countries, and is known as a "United Nations-style" community. During the critical period of fighting the COVID-19 epidemic in Beijing, facing the big challenges brought by foreign residents in large numbers and a complex situation, Li and her colleagues quickly translated the anti-epidemic materials into foreign languages to help relieve residents' anxiety.

Li's team included foreigners into their community health management system, established a WeChat group and provided 24-hour bilingual online service.

Foreign experts participate in the meeting through video link.

The community service led by Li moved the residents. Over 20 foreign residents voluntarily joined the volunteer team and perform their duties. Passionate participation in voluntary service of foreigners at Xiangmiwan community was a beautiful scene during the period of epidemic prevention and control in the capital.

The vivid anti-epidemic story in the community won applause. Experts from United Nations and Chinese voluntary service organizations highly praised the work mode of the Xiangmiwan community, which created an innovative path to help resilient recovery during the epidemic.

This event showed the outstanding performance of the capital women volunteers, on the international stage, helped participants exchange the experience of voluntary services under the background of the COVID-19 pandemic, and conveyed the expectation and confidence of the people of all countries for global cooperation to meet the challenge through telling the anti-virus stories of families in Beijing.

The activity also broadened the way of thinking and gathered strength for further exploring the role of women's federations in international community governance, demonstrating how to lead and enhance women's volunteer service brand in Beijing in its development as an international communication center.