Taskent, Uzbekistan: It has been the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme’s on-going objective to motivate and support Uzbekistan’s energetic and remarkable youth volunteers in their endeavours. As part of these efforts, a national project will soon begin, and it will enhance youth civic participation and involvement in democratic governance practices. Read

Dodoma, Tanzania: How do you equip youth with the necessary skills to avoid unwanted sex? What factors lead to risky sexual behaviour? How do you prevent HIV transmission among youth? These topics form but a snapshot of the issues that fuelled lively discussions during a recent training session on comprehensive sexuality education that I attended in my duty station, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Read

Morocco/Sudan/DR Congo: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme recently launched the “Arab Youth Volunteering for a Better Future” initiative, which aims to build the skills and capacities of young people in the Arab States and enhance their participation in the socio-economic development of their communities through volunteering. The initiative will lead to a regional programme covering Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Tunisia and Morocco. Read

Freetown, Sierra Leone: The youth IMPACT Volunteer club aims to address the needs of marginalized communities in Freetown and sub-areas by encouraging young graduates to use their knowledge and skills at the grassroots community level. The project aims to contribute to the peaceful coexistence of communities by creating environmentally-friendly livelihood opportunities in a selected number of communities. Read

Cairo, Egypt: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme formed a groundbreaking partnership with the Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities (AFVA) under the patronage of the League of Arab States (LAS). UNV Executive Coordinator, Flavia Pansieri, and Secretary General of AFVA, Mr. Yousef Al Kazim, signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) at AFVA’s eighth annual conference. Read

Istog/Istok, Kosovo: UN Volunteers at UNHCR and Aba-k, a local women’s NGO, organized a sale exhibition of handcrafts, embroidery, jewelry and traditional dishes. The activity was implemented through a UNV-led scheme promoting volunteerism, peace and development. Read

Prishtina, Taukhbahce Park, Kosovo: In Prishtina, and under motto “All Together”, an event took place to promote the importance of social inclusion through respect, acceptance and tolerance. It was organized by two UN Volunteers in partnership with the local NGO HandiKOS, an organization which supports people living with disabilities. 45 children, some with disabilities  participated in this event to learn more about volunteering, social inclusion and ecology. Read

Beijing, China: In the context of Rio+20, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has launched a public participation campaign entitled “Volunteering for the Future We Want” on UNV China’s Sina and Tecent Weibos. Read

Bonn, Germany: UNV is actively involved in the Greening the Blue initiative, which was launched in 2010 to raise awareness of the importance of sustainability throughout the UN system and to encourage staff members to take an active role in reducing the organization’s carbon emissions. Read

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: A new agreement between the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and Comisión Cascos Blancos (White Helmets Commission) of Argentina was signed today at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. The agreement will strengthen both organizations’ capacity to respond, through volunteerism, to disasters and emergencies rapidly and effectively. Read