International Volunteer Day was celebrated in Dili, Timor-Leste on Saturday, 4 December 2010 on the grounds of the State Youth and Sports Secretariat. Students and Youth Parliament members gathered with UNV volunteers and volunteers from other organizations to discuss volunteerism and participate in educational games based on the Millennium Development Goals. (UNMIT, Sebastian Urresta) International Volunteer Day was celebrated in Dili, Timor-Leste on Saturday, 4 December 2010 on the grounds of the State Youth and Sports Secretariat. Students and Youth Parliament members gathered with UNV volunteers and volunteers from other organizations to discuss volunteerism and participate in educational games based on the Millennium Development Goals. (UNMIT, Sebastian Urresta) Events to mark International Volunteer Day 2010 in Timor-Leste took place in Dili, Baucau and Oecussi, focusing on young people and promoting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). (UNMIT, Sebastian Urresta)

In Dili, around 80 children from different schools and institutions as well as 40 volunteers from Red Cross Timor-Leste, Australia Volunteers International, Ba Futuro Foundation, Klibur Domain, Arte Moris participated in activities led by UNV volunteers on 4 December.

The children were divided in three groups to compete for prizes in two races and an art competition related to the Millennium Development Goals. They learned how to ensure environmental sustainability, combat diseases and promote gender equality.  

Ten teenagers from the Youth Parliament were involved in the dialogue of volunteerism to share with the participants their views and ideas about volunteer work and how to become involved in decisions that affect the community.

In Baucau, over 140 people, mainly young people from three communities, came to Katilosa Foundation, an institution caring for children with disabilities, to celebrate International Volunteer Day on 4 December.

Volunteers from Katilosa and Caritas foundations, Red Cross Timor-Leste and UNV volunteers presented their work and explained how volunteerism can make a difference. While UNV volunteers were showing how to use an environmental-friendly stove, Red Cross volunteers demonstrated how to react to an emergency situation.

The young Timorese were inspired by the volunteers from Social Life Science, a local NGO, who opened the dialogue of volunteerism and expressed an increased enjoyment of life due to their volunteer work.

In Oecussi, IVD was celebrated on 5 December. Few people knew about IVD and volunteer work. Volunteers from Red Cross Timor-Leste, World Food Programme, Mahata women group, Nomeico secondary school and UNV volunteers had organized an open concert and invited youth in the rehearsal of songs and text messages regarding HIV prevention.

Around 150 participants (70% were under 17) joined IVD activities and games. Kids and teenagers were running in the MDG hunt activity looking for hidden messages, families were enjoying a drama performed by volunteers about sanitation, disease prevention, maternal and child nutrition or watched a solar powered cooker demonstration.

This year's IVD celebrations in Timor-Leste contributed to disseminating information about volunteer work advancing progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and to encouraging more young people to volunteer.