Bonn, Germany: In the lead-up to International Volunteer Day, the United Nations Volunteers programme invites the world to an online film festival. The online festival—which starts at 14:00 GMT +12 on 4 December—will cross the globe, stopping in 12 time zones to see how voluntary action is making a difference. Read

Port au Prince, Haiti: Despite the calamities suffered this year, Haitians are bent on exercising their civic duty at the 28 November 2010 elections. Apart from the 21 UNV volunteers that make up the electoral section of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, an additional 200 will soon be deployed all over the country. Read

Kakuma, Kenya: An estimated 75,000 refugees whose lives have been directly affected by war and conflict with members of their Turkana (host) community celebrated International Day of Peace in Kakuma, northern Kenya. Read

Bonn, Germany: Within one day of its launch last week, almost 3,000 people had connected with the United Nations Volunteers’ (UNV) Facebook page.

'We are delighted by the response,' said UNV Executive Coordinator, Flavia Pansieri. The page invites volunteers, organizations, civil society, and interested people around the world to join a global discussion about how volunteerism can end poverty. Read

Bonn, Germany: Today we are starting a global discussion to Share the Story about volunteering to meet the MDGs.  We can meet the Goals, but only if we complement essential government action with the engagement of millions of people through volunteer action.  Our discussion will culminate in a 24-hour, online film festival that will showcase video stories received from volunteers, communities, civil society, non-governmental organizations and United Nations partners. Read

Bonn, Germany: International volunteering is increasing, and the implications for the volunteers and beneficiaries are evolving. Benjamin Lough, a researcher on international volunteering at Washington University in Saint Louis, met with United Nations Volunteers programme staff to discuss international volunteering as part of his work for the State of the World Volunteerism Report. Read

Torit, Sudan: During their six month mission to Sudan, Isaac, Jan, Diederick and Catharina did not limit their activities to the county prison, they also worked with a women’s association, a community based organisation working to empower women. Read

Victoria, Seychelles: Earlier this year, the President of the Seychelles, James Michel, created the National Committee on Volunteering (NCV) to promote volunteerism, and advise the government on how volunteerism can be promoted in the island nation. Read

Bonn, Germany: Volunteers play a crucial role in coping with the aftermath of disasters, as they are often in the frontline to respond and mobilize communities to help each other. Volunteers increase the resilience of rural and urban communities to disasters through raising awareness of risk, better preparedness and identifying early warning mechanisms. Read

Bonn, Germany: Dr David Horton Smith, a consultant for UNV's the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) discussed research on volunteerism and the current trends with UNV staff last month. Read