Chennai, India: Managed by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Service Scheme (NSS) aims to involve students in local communities through volunteerism. About 2.6 million students from 200 universities are now involved. Read

Kolkata, India: We believe that by giving practical knowledge and this certification to disabled students, we are making not only economically independent workers but self-sufficient citizens - of this city, of this country and of the world. Read

Kolkata, India: A Spanish university volunteer working with Cisco in India talks about his experiences as an 'after hours' volunteer in Lapierre's 'City of Joy' - Kolkata. Read

Bihar State, India: Today, 8 October, is the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction. UNDP in India plans to triple the numbers of UNV volunteers working on disaster risk and relief in flood-afflicted Bihar, and UNV volunteers are already at the centre of efforts to get people back on their feet. Read

Port of Spain, Trinidad: I was approached by the Rotary Club of Princes Town to assist in a free medical outreach project at Williamsville, one of the remote areas in the south of the country. This 'camp' was assisted by one of the UNV volunteer doctors living near me. It was only the beginning... Read

Scarborough, Tobago: I remember in my childhood days I perceived the UN as wearing hard hats, having guns and vehicles bearing the big 'UN' logo. So I didn't really know what was meant by the UN, until I met a national UNV volunteer, an engineer, in my country, India. Read

Chennai, India: The UN's International Literacy Day falls on 8 September. UNV is helping to improve literacy around the world, for example by supporting The Times of India newspaper's ambitious 'Teach India' campaign. Here one of the national UNV volunteers working on the project gives an insight into his role. Read

Bonn, Germany: Volunteerism is one of the longest traditions in environmental activism, and community initiatives are invariably volunteer-based. Volunteers are to be found in conservation efforts around the world. Read

Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata: A newly-launched volunteer teacher campaign supported by UNV in India has received 55,000 applications in its first month – enough to keep activities going up to the spring of 2009. Read

Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata: UNV and The Times of India newspaper are cooperating to mobilize volunteer teachers in four major Indian cities. The 'Teach India' campaign is designed to increase access to primary-level education by matching volunteers to educational NGOs in their local areas. Read