"While volunteers on the ground are playing a pivotal role in supporting the changes around the world, it is also essential to make sure that the impact of fieldwork is communicated with people, urging others to join the cause," says Faye Palad, a Digital and Social Media Content Producer at the UN Department of Peace Operations (UNDPO) in New York. Read more about how Faye connects communities.
I have always been interested in women's rights, gender equality and volunteerism. My first volunteer experience goes back to my undergraduate days when I joined the university's official volunteer programme, Ugnayan ng Pahinungod, which nurtures volunteers working with the Philippines' local communities. I also worked as an intern for the Huairou Commission in New York, which provided me with ample exposure to women's rights issues and an understanding of key global issues.
These experiences led me to start my career with the United Nations. I first began my work at the UN Women secretariat as an intern. There, I worked on a video and messaging campaign called “Changing the narrative – texting video series to end violence against women.”
As an artist and communicator, I am interested in engaging with people and communities. I create and manage campaigns that produce tangible results using new technologies, web-based platforms and social media networks, which I think is an essential aspect in today’s world.” -- Faye Palad, a UN Volunteer Digital and Social Media Content Producer at UNDPO in New York
Currently, I am assigned as a Digital and Social Media Content Producer for UNDPO. Together with the Strategic Communications Section colleagues, we produce digital and social media content related to peacekeeping missions and promote UN Peacekeeping's work on the ground. Our work also includes discussions on broader thematic areas such as women, sexual violence in conflict, peace and security agenda, youth, and climate change.
As much of our work is centred on serious and technical issues, there are always challenges in creating content that is easy to understand. It is essential to make sure that the impact of peace and development work in the field is communicated to people in a way that they are interested in joining the cause.
Social media is an essential tool that can enable audiences who may have little or no knowledge about UN Peacekeeping to understand and talk about topics surrounding peace and conflict in this current day and age.” -- Faye Palad
With the global pandemic still posing a threat around the globe, social media is a very effective tool in addressing and ending misinformation. I mainly create visuals and messaging around reports and campaigns to sensitize people about the spread of the virus and misinformation.
Due to the pandemic and also because large parts of my work can be done online, I have not been able to meet a lot of other UN Volunteers and colleagues. However, that does not mean that we are disconnected. Last year, I had a chance to join an Instagram Live with three other volunteers working with UN Peacekeeping. We discussed our unique experiences and shared lessons learned.
I love working as a UN Volunteer because I feel like I’m part of a wider cause. Volunteerism is an important aspect of improving the world we live in. And volunteering for something bigger than myself is something that I aspire to and am fortunate to be doing.” -- Faye Palad