Online volunteers are playing an increasing role in assisting the United Nations' development efforts, cutting down on the environmental costs of flying, a UN official said Wednesday.

Flavia Pansieri, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, said people working online have expanded their roles from doing mostly translation work to tasks such as supporting local development organizations in funding issues and even the analysis of aerial photographs to determine the vulnerability of a community to natural disasters.

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Mr. Dirk Boberg, UNDP Deputy Resident Representative said, "This citizens' initiative is of paramount importance to sensitize the public and to mobilize residents to raise awareness and become more responsible towards environment issues and related challenges. I hope that many initiatives will follow similar to this one, with more and more residents’ participation" Visit site

What does it mean to be a volunteer? Ayodhya Amarajeewa, a volunteer with the UNDP ART GOLD Sri Lanka Programme, talks about the spirit of volunteerism based on her experience... PDF download - see p13 Read

Students from schools in Vientiane learned about how to avoid falling victim to human trafficking, thanks to a seminar organized by UNV and the Lao People's Revolutionary Youth Union. It follows a previous workshop on the environment. Read the newspaper scans below. Read

Since 2006 UNDP, in collaboration with UNV, has been working on reintegrating 3,160 ex-combatants from the region. Since women have been disproportionately affected by the conflicts, the organization is working with the Niger High Commissariat for the Restoration of Peace to include women in the peace process. Thus, these women’s cooperatives will be essential in boosting livelihoods and bringing communities closer to one another. Visit site

The 'Discussion on Volunteerism for Disaster Management' workshop organized by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) alongside the UNDP Safer Communities through Disaster Risk Reduction (SC-DRR) project and UNV aimed at collecting ideas for the development of a framework on volunteerism as a measure of a strategic approach to provide a more effective response to disasters. Read

Green Orissa, a campaign for meeting climate change challenges through voluntary action, was initiated by UNDP in association with UNV, the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) and other voluntary organizations. Visit site

Filipinos from various parts of the world continue the spirit of helping others help themselves through a new form of bayanihan: the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Online Volunteering service, a platform that puts volunteers in contact with organizations worldwide to work together for peace and development – over the Internet.  Visit site

UNV organized and hosted a roundtable discussion with local Volunteer-Involving Organizations (VIOs) at UN House. The topic of discussion was volunteerism in Armenia and the establishment of a network of VIOs to improve inter-agency coordination and avoid duplication of efforts. Visit site

UNV volunteers in Sinazongwe district of Southern province have procured nine hammer mills meant to assist orphans and vulnerable children. Read