17 May 2004

Bonn, Germany: Ten people from different countries have been named by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme as "Online Volunteers of the Year" for their exceptional contributions to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in developing countries, through its Online Volunteering (OV) service.

These individuals -- coming from Australia, India, Kenya, the Philippines, Spain, the United States and Zimbabwe -- helped NGOs in Asia, Africa and Latin America, from a distance, in numerous ways, from editing and publishing a newsletter for an organization helping people with disabilities, to translating resource materials from on desertification and HIV/AIDS.

Winners include Flavia Trevisani, an Italian living in the Netherlands, who helped US-based Lawyers without Borders manage its online volunteers, developing a volunteer recognition system and manual.

Claire Suzanne Holland, from the US, was recognized for sharing her legal expertise to the Bureau for Reconstruction and Development (BRD) in Afghanistan, assisting the organization in facilitating its community development programmes.

Biswajit Dash, a software developer in India, thought that computer science was not area that could contribute to humanitarian work until he became an online volunteer. Dash helped People with Disabilities Uganda re-design their website to make it accessible to people with physical difficulties.

Online volunteers can make a difference from their computers at home, work, university or community technology centres.

"When I felt that my routine work was limited, often not able to fully exploit my potentials, I craved a new challenge -- something that each working day would be different and challenging, a source of pride. I therefore decided to get involved in Online Volunteering, (where) I am able to exploit my numerous skills, potentials and interests," says George Okello Gopal, an awardee from Kenya, who produced a research report for the Canada-based Centre for Research in Women’s Health.

The Online Volunteers of the Year are just 10 of the more than 15,000 people who have signed up with UNV's OV service since its launch in 2000. Online volunteers using this service have helped more than 400 organizations working in 60 countries.