Damascus, Syria:  I joined the UNV Programme as an intern few weeks ago. And I wouldn’t miss the chance to experience a real event “on the field”. And 11,000 volunteers apparently were thinking the same. Read

Bonn, Germany: UN Volunteers donated very big-heartedly to the Mercy and Sharing Orphanage in Tabarre 16, collecting the equivalent of just over $600 in US dollars and gourdes. The orphanage caters for over 60 children some of whom are terminally ill or disabled. Read

In recognition of the particular role that youth play in shaping the development of their societies and the need to harness this potential, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme with its partners has launched pilot projects to explore ways in which, by building on and promoting a culture of volunteerism, youth can be mobilized and engaged in activities at the community, regional and national level. 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

Hanoi, Vietnam: Ten students from the Hoa Sua Vocational Training School for Disadvantaged Youth in Hanoi received the UNV Ambassador Award recognizing their academic achievements. Read

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Kyrgyzstani youth are the focus of a new project launched today in the country’s capital aimed at increasing their participation in activities to improve their social conditions within the country. Funded by the Japanese Government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kyrgyzstan, the two-year UNV Youth Volunteerism Project will be carried out in all seven of the country’s provinces, reaching an estimated 1,400 youth participants. Read

Bonn, Germany: On the occasion of International Youth Day, 12 August, the United Nations (UN) Viet Nam is pleased to announce the winner of the Youth Initiative to Promote Volunteerism for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) contest. The contest, initiated by United Nations Volunteers (UNV), was launched in June and invited young Vietnamese people to apply for sponsorship of USD 1,000 to support an initiative that promotes volunteerism for the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Read

Bonn, Germany: Axel Melinon of France knows the media-labeled Darfur crisis all too well. As one of 23 UN Volunteers currently on the ground in Chad, he spends his days caring for some 15,000 Sudanese refugees that refer to Bahai, a small desert outpost situated along the north-eastern Chad-Sudan border, as their temporary home. Read

Bonn, Germany: Building trust and promoting understanding and tolerance among youth in Bosnia and Herzegovina are the key objectives of the UNDP and UNV Integrated Youth Programme. UN Volunteers are working in 15 municipalities where people displaced by the war continue to return to their former homes. Read

Kampala, Uganda: In early 2003 Tariq Mohammed completed his service as a UN Volunteer under the UNITeS initiative in Uganda. The former Harvard research assistant Tariq Mohammed helped Ugandan students learn how to use information and communications technology (ICT) under the Cisco Networking Academy Programme. The following article is a reflection of his trials and triumphs during his stay in Uganda. Read