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

Bonn, Germany: The Pacific Sustainable Livelihoods Project has undertaken a new project called Fiji Retail Enterprise Engine or "FREE" craft shop which is a business incubator, the first of its kind in the Pacific. It provides an affordable retail option for artists working at home, while at the same time providing them the necessary business training and facilities to effectively grow their business. It is designed to support self-employed artists and crafts people, of which two-thirds are women. Read

Bonn, Germany: Making a decent living is becoming an increasingly difficult task. United Nations Volunteers are making this challenge easier for more than 1,500 Pacific islanders, however, by providing training on how to plan and manage a business and save money. Read

Fiji Parish, Fiji: From its beginnings in the 1970s, the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) has served the special needs of small island developing states, such as those in the Pacific. Volunteers have experience and genuine interest in assisting island states overcome obstacles of physical isolation, limited economic and human resources, single-crop agriculture and emigration. In UNV's early years, small islands mainly sought technical assistance from UNV for strategic inputs to agriculture, health, education and the economy. During the 1990s, UNV has sought to give greater emphasis to enabling local communities to carry through initiatives they decide will meet their most pressing needs. Read