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Research Journal of the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka- Rohana 11, 2019

emphasis on one aspect over another. The common belief, especially among neo-
classical economists, is that economic growth accompanies social development.

However, we believe that it can happen only if the policies are in place to

redistribute the benefits of economic growth in a manner that ensures social justice.
Again, if it is to be so, social development must be an action too, driven by

“inclusive social policies”. Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that social
development cannot be expected to happen spontaneously through economic

growth, but it has to be an action happening hand-in-hand with economic growth.

The outcome of such an action would then be a social condition in which everyone
has the opportunity to lead a relatively reasonable level of decent and quality living.

The idea that modern volunteering is a form of community action, which connects

people together and promotes and generates community benefits has already been
widely recognized and documented (Korten and Klauss, 1984; Korten, 1990; IAVE,

1990; Warburton and Oppenheimer 2000; United Nations, 2001; Omoto and
Snyder, 2009; Leigh, 2011; UNV, 2020; Omoto, et.al 2012; Ahmadi, (2013);

Eliasoph, 2013; Volunteering Australia, 2015; Gamlath, 2017 and 2018). When the

community members are closely connected with each other, communities are
strengthened and individual and community benefits increase (Healy & Hampshire,

2000), and people have better personal wellbeing outcomes (Wilkinson, 1999). This

indicates that volunteering can energize, mobilize, and involve local communities as
active partners in local level social development. Based on the authors’ experience

with Community Based Organisations (CBOs) that extensively apply connection-
centered volunteering approach and strategies in community work, the paper puts

forth the view that volunteering creates conditions at grassroots for social
development action to take place.

The discussion is undertaken as a “practice-based reflexive and reflective

interpretation of information”, which is a widely applied technique in research-

informed practice in professional social and community work (Payne, 2014;

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