ShanghaiDaily.com reported the launch of  "'The State of the World's Volunteerism Report' by UN Volunteers (UNV)" which was released in Shanghai  on International Volunteer Day on December 5. Visit site

Civil society has a role to play in the development of this country, which cannot be left up to solely the Government and private sector observed Steven Blackett, Bardados Minister of Social Care, Constituency Empower-ment and Community Development during the launch of the United Nations State of the World’s Volunteerism Report at UN House. Visit site

Communal conflicts in the country and cross-border disputes could be better managed with increased people-to-people contacts, said a UN report released Monday.  The UN's 'State of World's Volunteerism Report', the first-ever such study released by the world body, underlined that voluntary efforts could play a role in combating communal tensions. Visit site

Allen Jennings, UNV Deputy Chief of the Development Division, said the Vietnamese Government and people should be fully aware of voluntary activities’ importance in the country’s development. He was speaking at the 2nd National Volunteers Summit held by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union  (HCMCYU) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in Hanoi to mark International Volunteer Day (IVD). Visit site

South Sudan's National Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports in conjugation with the United Nations yesterday joined to celebrate the International volunteer day and launching of UNV's State of the World's volunteerism report. Visit site

Stressing that volunteerism contributes to the well-being of individuals, communities and society, a new United Nations report released Tuesday urges countries not to forget this largely untapped asset. The State of the World’s Volunteerism Report by UN Volunteers (UNV) presents  for the first time empirical evidence of the importance and  contribution of volunteerism on a global scale. Visit site

Volunteerism is an essential component of any strategy that recognizes that progress cannot be measured solely in terms of economic return, it’s also about ‘well-being’. Volunteering not only delivers peace and development results; it is uniquely able to impact on the inner lives of individuals, communities and societies, binding them with bonds of trust and reciprocity (UNV Executive Coordinator, 2011). Visit site

As part of the celebrations for International Volunteer Day, UNV will organize a series of events to showcase volunteers' work. One of these events, Light-up the World, will involve various online activities, including a photo competition where volunteers are asked to submit images from around the world depicting their views and experiences. The winner will be chosen through votes on UNV's Facebook page. Visit site

The Canadian launch of the State of the World's Volunteerism Report in Ottawa coincides with the report's launch at the UN General Assembly in New York and in 70 countries around the world, as well as with International Volunteer Day and the 10th Anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers. Visit site

Every day, volunteers make a difference for the environment, for peace, for meeting the Millenium Development Goals, and much more. There are countless examples of volunteering having an incredible impact.  Visit site