Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will require the ingenuity, solidarity and creativity of many millions of ordinary people through voluntary action. Efforts on the part of governments, supported by the international community, can only complement what ultimately will depend on the full involvement of people all over the world. Six billion people have something to contribute. Recognizing this fact is the first step towards harnessing this vast resource in a global effort to meet the MDG targets. The International Year of Volunteers (IYV) 2001 created global awareness of the enormous contribution that individuals make to development through voluntary action.