The value of volunteering, in economic and social terms, has long been recognized and championed in the North. The importance of such volunteering in the South, in particular by people in their own communities, however, has only started to be more widely understood and recognized since the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) 2001. Read

Bonn, Germany: A team of UN Volunteers started a project in Antananarivo, Madagascar, in September 2002. They recruited local volunteers to help put an end to the violence in the densely populated areas in the southwest where a steady influx of immigrant populations resulted an upsurge of violence. Read

Bonn, Germany: Since 2002, Intra-City Volunteerism (ICV) has been engaging and mobilizing citizens to improve their communities through activities in Esmeraldas/Ecuador, Falmouth/Jamaica, and Amran/Yemen. Read

Bonn, Germany: The Local Governance Programme (LGP) started its work in south-western Albania’s villages of Hekal commune, Fier region, encouraging active citizen participation in development, community members and local authorities in Albania collaborate with the help of UN Volunteers. Read

Ha Noi, Viet Nam: Viet Nam’s Ha Long Bay ecological importance has been recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Yet, despite its international recognition and classification as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the bay’s natural integrity is at risk of being destroyed Recognizing the need to stop the trend of environmental degradation , UNESCO, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Viet Nam’s Youth Union jointly developed a two-year project aimed at mobilizing the bay’s youth population into action. Read

Bonn, Germany: In 1993, a group of 30 Nepalese ex-UN Volunteers formed the Returned United Nations Volunteers Association of Nepal (RUNVAN) as a way to continue volunteering at home. Today, the association has 200 members and is one of Nepal’s biggest advocates and promoters of volunteerism. Read

Bonn, Germany: Quotes on the crucial role volunteerism play not in only in development but also its impact of people's lives, especially the volunteers. Read