The way web-volunteers are living and working

ClimateInfo - is the project created by you!

 Anyone can become a ClimateInfo web-volunteer in order to help providing Ukrainians with up to date, interesting and true information about climate change. This massage contains feedbacks of the project’s participants and new vacations.
 Стати веб-волонтером КліматІнфо

2011 is the year of web-volunteering for ClimateInfo. As of today about 10 boys and girls from different cities of Ukraine help to write, search and translate news for ClimateInfo.

Currently web-volunteers are busy with gathering and translation of information from foreign sources, preparation of review of different topics and sometimes they are writing own articles. They manage finding really interesting topics, for example: “Are there really are 50 millions of climate refugees? or “How REDD+ mechanism can help to save spirit of ancestors?”. In addition, volunteers attend exclusive events, for example, presentation of Polissya Climate Change Protection Program of EU, Kyiv defenders’ march and How to start changing your society presentation. There are a lot of different ways to cooperate as a volunteer in areas related to environment protection.
We choose the most popular author of a month (prepared the most frequently viewed paper) who gets an environmental prize. There are more and more volunteers, so, the competition is growing. But we invite new participants to apply, because we work not for prizes but for idea.  We hope that in the nearest future ClimateInfo will become even more informative with a help of new authors.
 Everyone interested should send their CVs and motivation letters to the following address:  yuliya.makliuk@climateinfo.org.ua . As for now, we are looking for volunteers to work as author-translator (responsibilities include search, translation and writing of articles) and editor (responsible for editing of articles). All the details are provided at the end of this page. Maybe, quite soon we will be able to invite web-site chief editor to work part time and be responsible for content and development of the web-site.
First web-volunteers of ClimateInfo tell about themselves and their participation in the project:
]]> Nataliya Vasyljeva]]> - NaUKMA graduate, currently employed as an analyst of carbon market. As a real scientist Natalia is conducting a deep analysis of chosen topic to create a  well-balanced reviews of important issues, for example, Water shortage conflicts.
 
Natalia tells about her experience of being a volunteer:

“In a nutshell, web-volunteering is interesting because you have to search for new information, learn how to represent it in a right way, broaden your outlook, and in some way you influence other peoples’ thinking”.

]]>Кsenia Bystrevska]]> - author and translator. She can tell a lot about climate negotiations and physical processes of carbon dioxide assimilation.

Here is Ksenia's answer to question why she started helping us:

“ClimateInfo is super interesting project! I am getting valuable experience as web-volunteer which is extremely important for me as an ecologist. Moreover, I can improve my skills and knowledge, implement in practice my creative plans and ideas.  As a member of ClimateInfo’s team I am getting acquainted with special people, learn new information about tendencies in climate change mitigation in Ukraine and all over the world.” 

]]>Viktoriia Skichko]]> worked in PR Department of the State Committee of Forest Management, currently is working in a bank. Victoria spends her free time on working with serious scientific materials about climate change for our web-site. So, thanks to her we have articles about Arctic’s warming or technologies of turf moors irrigation for CO2 accumulating.
 

Vika tells about her participation in the project:

“Why did I decide to become a volunteer?

First of all, I am sure that environmental issues in general and specifically climate change are important. A lot of people are not bothered with these matters and they don’t care that this can have negative impacts on the environmental conditions of the planet in future. I want to be involved in improving life of all people from now onwards even in such a limited way as it may seem at a first glance.

The second thing is English.If you think that you know English well, you are wrong. Translation of articles not only helps to achieve good understanding and application of authentic English language but also gives a chance to observe western point of view on the issues presented in those papers.

The next thing is that volunteers are getting very valuable experience not only in translation but also in writing their own articles. In this way we learn how to write and present our thoughts in a right way so that they can be enjoyable for others to read and understand. A skill of persuasion is priceless in the modern world.

Last but not least, web-volunteering is a chance to meet new interesting people. From my own experience, these people are interesting not only for discussing environmental issues but also simply chatting over a cup of tea.”

]]>Аnаstasiia Kostrytsia]]> is a 3rd year student of NaUKMA (major is ecology). She is active in finding and preparing new topics for articles. Thanks to web-volunteering she tried herself as a journalist on environmental event, and also participated in the 350.org workshop for climate activists. Anastasia became the winner of the February contest for writers and translators.
 

“ I invite you to compete with volunteers-beginners (with me and Victoria) in searching for interesting information on climate change and energy on English and Russian web-sites and translation of those publication. For an example, I got my first prize today!

Our team is very tight-knit, together (as a ClimateInfo team) we gather at the Green Drinks, workshops, presentations. Now I have so many environmentally aware friends!” – Nastya says.  

We are grateful to all talented and initiative participants for their contribution to the development of Ukrainian climate change movement and we always are looking forward to meet new friends.

 Yuliya Makliuk, Project Coordinator ClimateInfo
 
Information about web-volunteering:
 
Ukrainian climate change movement – a dynamic group of environmental activists, - is looking for a web-volunteer.
You:
  • are interested in environmental issues, climate change and environmental activism;
  • have some web-site development skills (development, content management, etc.) and writing articles and willing to develop your skills;
  • know English at the level of "read and translate”;
  • have absolute competence in Ukrainian and experience as an editor (for editor position);
  • are responsible and have about 3-5 hours a week to accomplish task of a web-volunteer;
  • want to devote part of your time to socially important activities and meet nice people.  
We:
  • provide you with the platform to test and develop your skills.
  • provide accreditation to interesting environmental events.
  • involve you into the work and leisure activities of the climate activists.
  • help to get funding for your environmental web-projects.
  • provide recommendations based on your work.
 If you are  interested you should send your CV and motivation letter to the following address:  yuliya.makliuk@climateinfo.org.ua . As for now, we are looking for volunteers to work as author-translator (responsibilities include search, translation and writing of articles) and editor (responsible for editing of articles).