Bujumbura, Burundi: My short stint as UNV volunteer is probably my way to identify the areas where I could be a key player. 'Key player' does not mean the mission will depend on you all along; instead it just means putting something on the table. I just want to contribute but not to be celebrated as the hero – heroes are just in stories anyways. Read

Juba, Sudan: Being a volunteer means serving without conditions, accepting certain sacrifices, and offering unselfishly one's talents to assist and support mission programmes. Read

Monrovia, Liberia: A leading UN official has commended UNV volunteers serving with the peacekeeping mission in Liberia. Plaques of appreciation and certificates were presented to reward consistent, reliable and active volunteering for peace and development. 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

Tabaquite, Trinidad: Volunteering to create change in society is like catalysis - and the volunteer is the catalyst - says UNV volunteer Floriza Palanas-Mendoza, MD. Read

Bonn, Germany: When UN Volunteer Manu Longo of Italy first came to the Philippines in 2003, she quickly realized how ‘young’ the country was: one-third of the Philippine population is between the age of 15 and 30 years old. And while she was amazed at the number of youth organizations active in the country, she was equally surprised when she discovered that, according to a survey conducted by the National Youth Council, only two out of every five youth volunteer. Read

BONN: Former cockatoo poachers have become unpaid wardens in the Philippines, a rare role switch to protect a bird they once endangered. Thanks to the efforts of Peter Widdmann, a German Development Service (DED) volunteer and executive director of the Philippine Cockatoo Conservation Programme (PCCP), the birds are being bred in Narra on Palawan's Raza Island in the Sulu Sea. Read