Before I arrived in Kazakhstan I was intensively involved in volunteering in my home city in Finland. I worked for various volunteer projects and, at the same time, I learned a number of useful skills to promote volunteerism. One of the most enriching experiences of my time in Kazakhstan has been the possibility to use those skills. Read

The goal of this training was to promote the participation of parents with children under two years old who had not been registered yet. Without personal identification documents children have no right to nationality or access to state institutions. This is a common situation in the “bateyes”. Read

“It is gratifying to help local communities in their efforts to achieve democratic consolidation and peace,” declares Jorge Aliaga, a United Nations Volunteer assigned to the Electoral Logistics Support Division for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in Bandundu. “It is a long process and there are still many things to do, but we are moving in the right direction.” Read

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"Now I look back and feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve as a UN Volunteer with the GEF-SGP in Nicaragua. Helping local communities face challenges in their everyday lives through the implementation of projects determined by them is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to learn and gather lessons from community-level experiences. It also allows for the sharing of best practices among development aid actors, making an impact on a regional or global scale." Read

“I studied computer science in the US and eventually worked with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East where I helped develop the agency’s Disability policy.

I have always been passionate about volunteering. As soon as I arrived in Darfur, I realized that there was so much to do for this community. I needed to start advocating for the cause I have worked on my whole life: disabled persons.” Read

One of the major problems hindering the development of Kosovo is corruption. Serving as a UNV Programme Analyst for Democratic Governance with UNDP, I helped organize the Anti-Corruption Journalism Award, in support of investigative journalism for transparency. Read

During the past three years, as a UNV Interpreter under the UNHCR in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, during the US Citizen and Immigration Services interviews, Ngun Si (Myanmar/ROK) learned more about the plight and struggles of refugees from Myanmar in Malaysia, and gained a new understanding of how UNHCR, the United States and other countries provide protection and resettlement for refugees. Read

Joining the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) as a UNV Judicial Systems Monitor in 2007 has allowed me to help further development not only for the people I serve in Lofa and Montserrado Counties, but also for myself. Read