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The virtues of volunteerism

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Many of the volunteers at the Shanghai World Expo are quite young; volunteers as young as 18 years old are aiding visitors and making the Expo better for everyone involved. Shepherding such an energetic, youthful bunch is no simple matter. Expo Weekly took a few minutes to speak with Ma Chunlei, director of the Volunteers Department with the Organizing Committee of the Shanghai World Expo.

Expo Weekly: In your opinion, what makes Expo volunteers different from volunteers serving other major events?

Ma Chunlei: We gained experience in volunteering at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Here in Shanghai, volunteers are divided into three groups: those who work at the Expo Park, those who serve at volunteer service stands and those who are posted in the city to promote public civility. This is similar to the classification of volunteers during the Beijing Olympics where we had volunteers at the sporting venues and city volunteers.

Ma Chunlei, director of the Volunteers Department with the Organizing Committee of the Shanghai World Expo

Given the long duration of the Expo, the greatest difficulty for us is to organize and manage such a large number of people to serve the Expo for such a long period of time. It is therefore very important to keep volunteers in high spirits. We have achieved that goal by providing them with basic guarantees such as food, transportation and uniforms as well as offering them guidance and giving great publicity to their work.

The Expo volunteers work under great pressure. It is a tough test of their will, character and stamina. We have taken into account their circumstances and adopted a series of measures to facilitate their work. This has given the volunteers great enthusiasm; their work has won favorable comments from the general public.

What has been your biggest challenge so far in organizing volunteers for the Expo?

I think the trial operation period was the most difficult time. During that time, the volunteers were inexperienced and we came across a lot of unanticipated problems. Adjustments were then made to address the problems, including redeploying our volunteers and extending their workdays. This helped them to learn more about their work environment and adapt more quickly to the situation. We also included more "real" situations in our training programs.

We compiled a work manual for volunteers so that they would know what was required of them; this manual included experiences of their predecessors. In addition, we provided them with maps of the Expo Park and downtown Shanghai.

These measures improved the volunteers' efficiency as well as the quality of their work; this allowed us to end the trial operation successfully. Now, our volunteers have become more mature, experienced and professional, and their work and service have gained recognition from a growing number of visitors.

Have you adopted any regulatory measures or drawn up any emergency plans for extreme circumstances like continuously high temperatures?

My department has formed partnerships with outside suppliers to provide the volunteers with necessary resources. Take the volunteer uniform, for example. The material is perspiration-resistant and designed to allow maximum comfort. Volunteers also get a fanny pack, a canteen, a knapsack and other equipment.

We are also well prepared for extreme weather conditions. We provide mosquito repellent incense, cold drinks and sunshade umbrellas and coolers at every service stand. Citizens and local businesses have given their material and moral support to the volunteers as a token of their respect and appreciation.

We also have added more shifts to accommodate the hot weather and heavy flow of visitors.

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