Shanghai needs more people to do voluntary work and today - national "Learn from Lei Feng Day" - should be an official Volunteers' Day to attract more locals, Shanghai People's Congress deputies suggested to the local government yesterday.

Lei Feng, the People's Liberation Army soldier known for his selflessness and good deeds, died in 1962. A government campaign launched the following year called on people to follow his example by doing good deeds. March 5 has since become national "Learn from Lei Feng Day."

Calling for the day to also be Volunteers' Day, Wu Qiang, director of Shanghai Railway Administration and a deputy of Shanghai People's Congress, said: "Volunteers carry on the spirit of Lei Feng, who had been devoted to helping others throughout his life."

Currently, there are 28,000 social workers registered with Shanghai Charity Foundation alone.

Though the number of voluntary workers in Shanghai is expanding quickly, more are needed, especially those with special knowledge, said deputies.

"I hope to see more volunteers in the environmental protection field. There could never be enough help from volunteers with professional knowledge who could be our eyes and ears in supervising hazards of pollution to the local environment," said Zhang Quan, deputy and director of the local environmental authority.

The Shanghai People's Congress is currently discussing a draft regulation for volunteer services in Shanghai. When passed, it will be the first dedicated legislation in Shanghai to protect the rights of volunteers and regulate related issues.

The draft says those assigning volunteers to tasks involving physical risks or major economic or management obligations should sign contracts with volunteers who should be insured before carrying out tasks that could prove to be dangerous.

(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2009)