Harkin says the contribution of volunteers must be measured and recognised

North West MEP Marian Harkin is calling for a mechanism to be introduced to measure the contribution that volunteers make to the economy.
At the weekend, Ms Harkin was in Hungary to speak at a conference launching 2011 as the European Year of Volunteering. She told delegates that the International Labour Organisation has a mechanism to measure the contribution of volunteers as a percentage of GDP, and member states should adopt that mechanism as a matter of urgency.
She believes that only when figures are available will government realise the extent of the contribution volunteers make to society and the economy……………

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