Though great strides have been made since the end of the Liberian civil conflict in 2003 there is still a lot of work to be done to assure sustained peace and development. It is against this backdrop that Messengers of Peace – Liberia (MOP) conceptualized and executed the outreach programme: 21 Days of Activism: Volunteerism for Peace and Development to which the UN Volunteers Programme Liberia has been giving critical support to the outreach activity. Read

Bonn, Germany: 70 online volunteers have contributed extensively, over the course of several months, to the Peace Bag for EuroMed Youth toolkit, drafting, reviewing and translating the 191 page publication into 12 languages, as well as creating the layout and a web version. The team was awarded the Online Volunteering Award 2011 for this exceptional engagement. Read

Kinshasa, DRC: “It is gratifying to help local communities in their efforts to achieve democratic consolidation and peace,” declares Jorge Aliaga, a United Nations Volunteer assigned to the Electoral Logistics Support Division for the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) in Bandundu. “It is a long process and there are still many things to do, but we are moving in the right direction.” Read

Cairo, Egypt: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme formed a groundbreaking partnership with the Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities (AFVA) under the patronage of the League of Arab States (LAS). UNV Executive Coordinator, Flavia Pansieri, and Secretary General of AFVA, Mr. Yousef Al Kazim, signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) at AFVA’s eighth annual conference. Read

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: On the first day of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, a Rio+20 delegation visited the favela area of Canta Galo, where 57 UN Volunteers are engaged in the renewal of their own community. "This is yet another example of people power driving real change," says UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri. "Volunteers, together with communities around the world, support social, economic and environmental transformation every day." Read

Timor-Leste: "During my spare time, I participate in extra volunteer work directly with the Timorese people. I have been supporting local efforts to establish a pre-school named St. Mary’s Child Development Centre. The objective of this pre-school project is to enhance life opportunities in a modern society for Timorese children through a diversified education. " Read

Darfur, Sudan: “In any health care service delivery, the quality and efficiency of the services depends very much on the proper functioning of the medical equipment used by the doctors and other health care personnel. Even under normal and careful use, instruments may fail to function properly, and this is where my ability and skills come in handy.” Read

Liberia: "One day,when my buddies and I were talking about different problems in the world, we realized that it’s because there was no real peace. I decided then and there how my life should be. I wanted to contribute in some small way. By becoming a UN Volunteer in a peacekeeping mission I am doing my bit for a peaceful world. I believe in dialogue and peace." Read

Maliana, Bobonaro District, Timor-Leste: "UN Volunteers directly and indirectly serve the people of Timor-Leste. My contribution is to keep the UN personnel and peacekeeping forces in the best of health so they are able to execute their duties properly." Read

South Kivu, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: “The moments that I like the most are during the missions in the field. There, I have the opportunity to enter into direct contact with people I help. These times of giving and receiving end with the firm belief that what I do is noble and will not be in vain. Nothing is so important in life than seeing your neighbor during his difficult times.” Read