La Paz, Bolivia: Koenraad Vancraeynest, UNV Water and Sanitation Officer, is happy to be able to contribute to small-scale rural water and sanitation projects that have a big impact on daily life, especially for women and children. "As a UN Volunteer with UNICEF, it is for me an everyday responsibility and a challenge to pass these values on," says Koenraad. Read

La Paz, Bolivia: Teresa Calderón, national UNV Health Specialist, supports the National Zero Malnutrition Programme through community health actions with a focus on nutrition. Teresa's experience as a UN Volunteer has convinced her that "willpower can make roses grow in the desert". Read

La Paz, Bolivia: Being an international UN Volunteer enabled me to increase my knowledge about issues regarding the rights of indigenous peoples…  Bolivia is exceptionally rich in culture, with more than 36 indigenous groups facing very different realities and human rights problems. I had the chance to work with many of these people by giving training on human rights, and specifically on the rights of indigenous peoples. Read

La Paz, Bolivia: Every 10th December the International Day of Human Rights is celebrated around the world. This year the slogan "Speak up! Stop discrimination" pays tribute to the defenders of human rights around the world, and especially to those who devote their lives to fighting all forms of discrimination. Read

La Paz, Bolivia: The Chief of the Development Division of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, Ghulam Isaczai visited Bolivia last week to learn about the achievements and progress made by UNV and its partners towards human development. Read

La Paz, Bolivia: The MDGs are very serious objectives; however, they are raised within a political context. Different audiences may need new explanations or approaches to be able to understand them. Read

Jakarta, Indonesia: To help enhance communications about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), a UN-Government project in Indonesia has turned to the expertise online volunteers can offer. Read

La Paz, Bolivia: "In Bolivia, many women do not know what people trafficking really means," says Sara Rodríguez-Argüelles, a UNV volunteer working with UNIFEM. But her work helps prevent women from finding out the hard way.

"Prevention is the key because, although trafficking is categorized as a crime in Bolivia, it is extremely difficult for someone to be arrested for it." Read

Bonn, Germany and Tokyo, Japan: Rural communities across the world will receive additional support to help them cope with climate change, thanks to a new UNV project partly funded by the Japanese Government. Read

La Paz, Bolivia: You're not seen as a 'hero' who brings wealth and development, but you’re more seen as a person who can support a developing plan initiated at local level by the country’s people. Read