Voluntary citizen participation is an essential part of civil society, which in turn is a key contributor to sustainable development, human rights, good governance and social justice. 2011, the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10), saw an upsurge of such action in different forms in many countries around the world.

Looking back on 2011, CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme have combined to analyze contemporary trends in voluntary action and make recommendations for policy-makers, civil society, and volunteer involving organizations, in our new publication, Broadening Civic Space through Voluntary Action. Read

San Vicente, El Salvador: Five international UN Volunteers from Brazil are in El Salvador working on disaster risk reduction and food security, as part of a South-South cooperation project between the Government of Brazil and the Government of El Salvador, in collaboration with UNV. Read

In an effort to harness the energy, imagination and initiative of the world’s youth in overcoming the challenges facing humankind, from enhancing peace to boosting economic development, the United Nations proclaimed an International Year of Youth starting on 12 August 2010. Read

Bratislava, Slovakia: This research study on the state of volunteerism in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) looks at the contribution of volunteerism to peace and development, addressing the key questions of how volunteerism can help achieve the MDGs in the region, what are some of the key challenges it encounters and how its impact can be enhanced. This publication is the first of its kind for the region, and provides new and powerful information on a unique history of volunteerism in this part of the world. You can download the full version or a summary of the report below. Read

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has a long history of supporting relief operations in the aftermath of disasters, from Hurricane Mitch in Central America in 1998, to the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan, the Honduras storm in 2007 and the 2008 cyclones in Myanmar and Haiti.

Scores of UNV volunteers have helped coordinate relief efforts, mobilize resources and rehabilitate devastated populations. Their rapid deployment, professional skills and prior experience in disaster response brings hope to overwhelmed communities. Read