In MESYM, we are all volunteers. We gather because we want to make a difference, and there is always work to be done if you would like to help. On this page, you will find the information on what we do, what areas of help we need, and our policy towards volunteers.

Guidelines for MESYM team members and volunteers

Everyone is welcome to be part of MESYM, being a Volunteer or part of the Leading Team.

MESYM team is divided into the following areas:

• Leading Team
• Regional Managers
• Volunteer Managers
• Marketing / Networking
• Website and Social Media Editors and Writers
• Website Developers
• Advisors
• All purpose Volunteers

Everyone is welcome to be part of MESYM in any role, and take over any 1 or more of the tasks defined in the Roles and Tasks section (see above). As an example:

• a University student could be:
  • a Volunteer and help MESYM map all the Actions in a given State or City
  • a Volunteer Manager and introduce MESYM to all his / her University classmates, and help organize tasks among them
  • a Website Writer and write Articles for MESYM about Sustainability issues related to the University
  • part of the Leading Team, if truly committed to MESYM’s objectives

The tasks assigned to each team member, depends on personal interests / background / commitment, and these tasks will be assigned as an agreement between the team member together with the Leading Team.

The team member will be responsible for these tasks, then it is needed a clear understanding of how much time he / she can devote, their background (University student? Office worker?), his / her areas of interests, and the expected role. Examples:

• a University student might
  • have 5 hours a week for MESYM and devote them to writing Articles
  • have 20 hours a week for MESYM and, in addition to writing articles, could invite fellow classmates take part and assign them tasks
  • have 30 hours a week for MESYM and, in addition to the tasks above, be MESYM’s Regional Manager for a given State or City (eg: Penang) and help create website content originating from this area.
• a person working the usual 9 – 5 job might
  • have 2 hours a week for MESYM and help us translate the website to Malay
  • have 5 hours a week for MESYM and connect us with other Organizations

Roles and Tasks

MESYM is looking for team members and volunteers for the following roles / tasks.

MESYM as an Organization

Networking / Outreach to other Organizations

• Find out (offline and online) and contact Organizations / Individuals to be part of MESYM’s Community.
• Find out (offline and online) about Events (forums, conferences, University events, etc) where MESYM can take part.

Marketing

• Organize Campaigns (offline and online, eg: Social Media, attend Events, etc) to spread the word about MESYM.

Volunteer Finder & Managers

• Help MESYM find Volunteers (eg: Highschool / University students, like-minded people, etc) to help with all these tasks
• Be responsible to manage these Volunteers (assigning tasks, checking on progress, providing help if needed, etc)

Regional Managers

• Represent MESYM on any single State or City in Malaysia, taking over all the tasks needed: generate content for the website, contacting organizations, etc.
• Organize the MESYM Documentary Night in that Region.

Advisors

• Advise MESYM with decision making, share experience and knowledge from which MESYM can benefit

MESYM.com website

Article Writers

• Write original Articles for MESYM.
• Write Articles from curating interesting Articles from other websites / printed media / radio / etc.

Article Editors

• Create a pool of Articles to be curated and assign it to the writers.
• Double-check the correctitude of the Articles.

Action and Event Mapping

• Find out (offline and online) about Actions and Events from other Organizations / Individuals and add them in the website.

Translators

• Help MESYM translate the website framework (Who we are, What is MESYM, Our Story, etc) from English to Malay.

Website Developers

• WordPress (Php / Mysql) / Css / jQuery development for the website.

Media

• Create videos explaining in a very user-friendly way how to use the website.

Social Media

Social Media Managers

• Help post content in MESYM’s Facebook Page.
• Post announcements in MESYM’s Twitter account.

What to expect when volunteering for us

This is a list of volunteer-friendly principles that we at MESYM abide by:

Volunteer Empowerment

Anyone who is sufficiently committed can join the core team who’s in charge of driving the movement. Anyone who has a good idea can pitch it. You apply your skills and talents to the project of your choice; the level of engagement is up to your time and availability. The lack of micromanagement (we hate that – micromanagement, not the lack of it) comes with the assumption that you bear the ownership and responsibility of your tasks and projects. So, as long as you can deliver what you promise, we’re happy to let you carry out your ideas.

Fairness towards Volunteers

We respect volunteers and their work. We give prominent credit to those who contribute.The work that you do belongs to you. Our views on transparency and openness are also based on the fact that volunteers who contribute are the lifeblood of MESYM, and they deserve to have all the information that they need about how the organization is run, how the money is spent, where MESYM plans to go in the future, and so on. Any concerns of volunteers can and should be brought to the core team.

Ease of Participation

We try to make it as easy as possible for people to participate. Right now, this means that we try to publish as much useful information as possible for current and potential volunteers. We are also just an email away if there are any questions, suggestions, or if you just want to bounce ideas and explore options. Offline, we meet twice a month, at locations that are close to public transportation. The core team will be there, and all volunteers are encouraged to come whenever they can. Others who are interested to meet the team or have any ideas on collaboration, are welcome to drop by.

Friendship and Trust

The volunteering culture in MESYM is such that active volunteers have similar values and worldviews on sustainable living, positive actions, solidarity with all living things, and so on. It’s a space of positive energy where like-minded people gather to contribute towards the cause. We work together, we have fun together.

Learning and Personal Fulfillment

The best way to learn is to do. All of us are learning on the job. Our volunteers are encouraged to be independent, creative, and proactive. Through working with us, you’ll get to learn skills and practise them. There are plenty of people to learn from and to be inspired by.

The idea is that, MESYM is an entity separate from the individuals who are working on it right now. By setting up a culture conducive to volunteers, we will ensure that the movement lives on even when current volunteers move on.

Who can volunteer?

Anyone can volunteer. We don’t discriminate based on any criteria. The environmental movement concerns everybody and anyone who wants to help is welcome. International volunteers are also welcome. There are plenty of work to be done remotely  – physical presence is optional.