by Basanta Lamsal

30 September 2003

When I was selected to be a UN Volunteer to serve in Kosovo, I had a great deal of curiosity, fear, and uncertainty. I had never heard of UNV and couldn’t imagine what it exactly meant. It was the year 2000 which eventually paved the way for me to become a UN Volunteer. I was assigned to work with United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), to provide civil documents for the people of Kosovo. Upon arrival, I started to research UNV, trying make clear in my own mind what it meant, and that is how I discovered its importance and spirit.

I learned that voluntary or volunteering, stems from the Latin word, 'Voluntas', which means “Free Will”. In that sense volunteerism is the work of the “Free Will” or the willing for humanity. The concept of Volunteerism in this very complex, diverse, and modern society is to restore the meaning of self-help in community life and thus improve one's quality of life. Volunteerism has increasingly grown in its significance world wide, as it provides an opportunity to serve others! Most importantly it enables one to use his/her individual abilities to promote self-improvement, and develop one's character while bringing benefits for both society at large and the individual volunteer. Furthermore, volunteerism makes important economic and social contributions. This certainly applies to me personally as well. My involvement in UNMIK as a UN Volunteer has brought significant change in my life, vision, and career.

What is the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme? UNV, is the United Nations organization that supports human development globally by promoting volunteerism and by mobilizing volunteers. It’s administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and operates amidst growing recognition that volunteerism makes important contributions, economically and socially, to more cohesive societies by building trust and reciprocity among citizens. It has made a great contribution in the establishment and operation of many peacekeeping missions world wide, and has made tremendous contributions to the UN Mission in Kosovo. The Mission has mobilized dozens of professionals as UN Volunteers to establish and stabilize the fledgling peace process in Europe’s poorest countries. The program as such offers opportunities for professionals’ from around the world to share knowledge, build capacity, and contribute in the development of a country. It is universal, inclusive and embraces volunteer action in all its diversity. On this basis, UNMIK can be considered as one of the exemplary missions of the United Nations in term of volunteers’ contribution.

The situation in Kosovo has been changing and improving almost daily. A peace process has stabilized the region to some extent and we see major improvements in the general situation. Kosovo does has a provisional central and local government to govern the province after organizing a general election and two local elections. Kosovar nationals and their organizations have taken over most of the responsibilities and competences from the international community, especially from UNMIK, yet there remains a significant international presence to support the stabilization process, provide good governance and to strengthen democratic institutions. The final status of the province as such has not been agreed upon yet, nevertheless, negotiations are expected to continue soon.

As a tiny part of the overall United Nations support mechanism, I have fitted myself in Obiliq/c Municipality, one of the 30 municipalities in Kosovo, as a Project Officer. My duties consist of identifying and developing project proposals for the Municipality, coordinating donors, and facilitating implementation and monitoring projects. It is also my job to work on the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs), returns, integration and to help the ethnic-Albanian and ethnic-Serb communities, live and work together.

My work as a UNV in UNMIK has also proven to be a great career opportunity for me and I’m proud of my work and achievements here. I have been able to gain wider experience and a positive feeling in my life that have been helpful in enhancing my professional skills and which also furthered my career. I have also experienced first-hand the various cultures and traditions along the Adriatic Sea. The Balkans is famous for its rich natural resources, beautiful landscape, unique Muslim and Orthodox Christian culture, and beautiful people. There is a popular traditional proverb that Kosovo is famous for bread, salt and the heart. The Balkans region is also known as a place of warriors and the assassination of the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo that triggered the start of World War One.

Cultural values and norms, definitely, do have a direct effect on the development process of the society. These values can bring a significant change to the professional life of an individual and play a vital role in the successful implementation of development projects. Ever since I started to work in different regions with diverse cultural backgrounds, I have learned a great deal, which I would not have found in any other place. The opportunity to work in a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo with people from some 120 countries for the past three years, has been one of the most wonderful opportunities in my life. Working in a post conflict area is not only an opportunity for an individual but also is a challenge. I am happy to have had this chance as it has helped me sharpen my abilities and given men the courage to face further challenges and difficulties in the future.

Finally, to sum up, I have found new respect for the principles of volunteerism and salute those volunteers working globally for positive change, especially in developing countries. I believe that it is a kind of self-esteem and self-satisfaction, which can hardly be found in other professions and I encourage all development workers and other professionals to volunteer at least once in their lifetime.