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

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). Omoto and Snyder (2009)

explore who gets involved and why and elucidate how effective the role of
volunteering is in community action by which means community connections are

strengthened. Once the connections are built up and strengthened, further generation
of a process of ongoing reciprocal reactions between volunteering and healthy and

connected communities is also identified. For example, having positive impacts on

the emotional wellbeing of community members set antecedents of promoting
volunteerism which in turn enables experience the consequences of volunteerism

reiterating the wellbeing benefits of strong connections (Omoto and Snyder: 2009).
In a broader sense, even the United Nations mission statement of volunteering

echoes this process of reciprocal positive reactions of the link between volunteering
and community connections as the power of modern volunteering which can create

a better world through its contribution to build healthy and connected communities

(UNV, 2020).

In this way, all aspects and players of connection are inclusive and closely
interconnected for interchangeable mobilization of input contribution and benefit

consumption (WCC, 2007; Chanan and Miller, 2013; Rochester et.al, 2016) so that it

becomes a people focused action. The key players of inclusive connection consist of
volunteers and community groups and members. The reason why people get involved

in volunteering is recognized and valued. They have an invitation to participate and
contribute. Volunteers reach out to almost everyone so that even community

members who might miss out can be informed. Building relationships is supported
and strengths, skills, and life experiences of everyone are recognized. The

community develops collective identity, shares a common purpose, and demonstrates

ownership to what they engage in, what they do and produce. This process facilitates
individual empowerment and capacity development, and the collective strength of

empowered individuals motivates personal as well as collective progress.

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