Mike Masaufakalo from the Vanuatu
After the success of the inaugural edition of the FIVB Congress Workshop on development in Rome in 2010, Anaheim saw another productive seminar with a total number of 159 participants from 128 countries in attendance. There are a total of 162 category I and II FIVB federations out of a global total (covering all categories I-V) of 220.
“The seminar is a platform where the FIVB has the possibility to listen to our members,” FIVB President Jizhong Wei said in his closing address. “The national federations may ask questions, present their needs and requirements to the FIVB. The FIVB is ready to help and serve all the national federations but we are teaching and learning from each other. You need the FIVB and the FIVB also needs you.”
Key items discussed in the FIVB Congress Workshop included the global development report, presented by the FIVB development commission president Vicente Araujo and FIVB technical and development director Helgi Thorsteinsson, which reflected on the growth in FIVB development over the last four years including the following key facts:
Volley All Festival has seen 1.3m participants worldwide since 2009 including 199 federations.
The Volley Cooperation Programme has been active in 297 days of operation in 2012.
The FIVB has delivered 1,038 courses involving 25,638 participants
Other key items included a report on the FIVB Development Fund by FIVB Treasurer André Meyer, which is available for federations with development projects and a report on the FIVB international relations by FIVB executive vice-president Rita Subowo, who is also an IOC member.
The FIVB Congress Workshop concluded with inspirational presentations by the Vanuatu, Zimbabwe, Togo and Uruguay federations who provided examples of how they have developed and grown in recent years thanks to successful development initiatives.
