Service Enquiry is a series of publications focusing on the latest developments in service and volunteering policy and programmes, and on the impact of service on democratic values, citizenship and socio-economic development. The first edition of Service Enquiry is being launched by the Global Service Institute in partnership with Volunteer and Service Enquiry Southern Africa (VOSESA), Johannesburg, South Africa.

Look out for these 3 contributions on service and volunteerism in southern Africa, to be published in Service Enquiry in September 2003.

Youth Service for Employment:
The Umsobomvu Youth Fund initiative in South Africa
In South Africa today, unemployment is a serious problem facing young people and the country as a whole. This chapter describes how the Umsobomvu Youth Fund, a national agency established by government, is launching a national youth service programme in order to combine service with job creation. This initiative requires substantial funding support and the chapter examines how the fund sees its role and how it is making strategic choices about the beneficiaries of the youth service programmes. Penny Foley

Theoretical Perspectives on the Political Economy of Civic Service
Civic service is increasingly being recognized as a significant social institution and an emerging social phenomenon in a context of global social, cultural, economic and political change. But is civic service a politically neutral activity? This chapter asks questions about what kinds of civic service are being promoted and argues that different traditions, theoretical approaches and orientations have implications for choices made about service policy and programme design. Leila Patel

Rethinking Community-Based Learning in the Context of Globalization
Service emphasizes the centrality of learning - both for civil society organizations and for higher education students. Changing patterns of knowledge production provide a powerful opportunity to think creatively and systemically about service learning as a tool for development. This chapter explores how higher education institutions can reassert the public good, and foster their own transformation, by creating knowledge partnerships which enable communities and civil society to influence the globalization debates. Ahmed Bawa

 
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