05 December 2003

Bonn, Germany: Volunteering being a 365 days-a-year task means International Volunteer Day (IVD) should be a day that never ends, Ad de Raad, Executive Coordinator, a.i. of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme said today in a message marking the annual celebration of volunteerism.

“Recognizing the contribution made by volunteers after the media’s attention moves on to other news, and after the sound bites are just a memory, is crucial to the recruitment and promotion of volunteerism at all levels,” he said. “The need for volunteers is greater than ever.”

He added the importance of coordinating efforts and building alliances will make meaningful contributions in today’s world, including towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a time bound set of objectives to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women. “The continuous contribution made by volunteers, must be recognized and supported,” he said. “Collectively, we still have much to do: complete and compile studies of national volunteerism, advance proposals for pro-volunteer legislation and strengthen a global volunteer network. One place we can now turn to share this information is the WorldVolunteerWeb.org information portal on volunteering launched one year ago today. It belongs to all of us.”

Mr. De Raad also used the occasion of IVD to again reflect upon the contribution made by Sharon Capeling-Alakija, former UNV Executive Coordinator, who recently passed away. In his message, he summed up the feelings of every UNV. “To us, who work for the UN Volunteers programme, IVD feels very different this year. Her commitment has left an indelible impression with all of us. She would have been the first person to remind us that IVD celebrations do not end at the stroke of midnight”. International Volunteer Day is about highlighting the immense benefits we derive from a volunteer, which is why IVD is more than just a day.