The word "Timorization" was as alien to most of us as the word "Development" in East Timor during its colonial past. Immediately after arriving here, I was deputed to work in the Civil Service Academy and impart training to the local civil servants so that they can have effective system of administration and governance in a time bound manner. In short, the mandate was to do a time bound exercise in Capacity Building for the People of East Timor, who in the words of James Dunn have been betrayed time and again. Read

The hands-on work with UNHCR persons of concern, such as refugees and displaced persons, remained the most enjoyable and rewarding part of my work as a UN Volunteer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Bosnia. Read

Saara Parkkali, a Finnish health coordinator in Brazil, has been training for her position as a UN Volunteer since the age of eight. Read

Kristiina Mikkola, a UN Volunteer from Finland, is fully-funded by her Government for her assignment as programme officer in the environment and natural resources management section of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office in Nepal. Read

Once we arrived in Maputo we picked up our luggage quickly set off towards the flooded Limpopo Valley. The trip was impressive, as the outskirts of Maputo were full of rainwater that could not be drained. Read

Sanna-Leena Rautanen's title of environmental researcher is a bit of a misnomer. The UN Volunteer's teaching responsibilities at the University of Guyana range from courses in civil engineering to social studies -- a tall order in the "Land of Many Waters". Read

A UN Volunteer in Nicaragua has significantly raised public awareness of issues concerning children and youth by negotiating free weekly air time for child rights advocates. Tanya Urquieta from the United States, who has just completed a 15-month assignment as a UN Volunteer, arranged radio spots of up to 30 minutes each week and five short programmes daily to sensitize the local population on child and youth issues. Read

In Zambia, people with HIV/AIDS receive home-based care and support  from a mission hospital in Chilonga. A diary by UNV Regina Tibenderama. Read