Online Volunteers support We the Women campaign in 185 countries

"At its heart of We the Women is the idea that we, the women, have the power to come together and craft sustainable solutions for our shared future." The words of Angela Polinsky echo some 1000 Online Volunteers like herself who participated in the first-ever global campaign centering on women. These volunteers gathered the voices of over 25,000 women in 185 countries in a survey, the data of which, informs global priorities and how the international community can address them. 

Angela was also one of the campaign volunteers who participated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Roundtable discussion that centered on the survey, conducted by the United Nations Office of Partnerships (UNOP). Women were asked questions about how they see the future, their priorities, fears and hopes, and how global leaders can listen to them and support them to address issues, challenges and opportunities of the future.

Paying tribute to the courage and commitment of humanitarians

Grace Kironcho and Ousséni Demba Sidibé come from different parts of Africa and serve with two different United Nations entities. Grace serves with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Ousséni is with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). What connects them is a common goal — volunteering and through it — humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable populations in their home continent. We pay tribute to all humanitarians as we mark the World Humanitarian Day.

Grace Kironcho is from Kenya and serves with UNHCR in Nigeria. She is 33 years old.

UN Volunteers' humanitarian assistance for Gaza

World Humanitarian Day is observed annually on 19 August. As we pay tribute to and and salute the courage of humanitarians around the world, we bring you a story of three UN Volunteers, Elena Mansour, Lama Sheta, and Mohamed Moursy whose volunteer actions underpin the crucial support needed on the ground for one of the deadliest conflicts — Gaza.

The war continues unabated in its eleventh month. In this backdrop, Elena Mansour, from the Netherlands, serves as a UN Volunteer in Security Analysis and Training with the World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Bureau in Egypt. She reports on security and political developments regarding food security. This reporting is vital to forecast potential risks for famine.

Placing youth at the center of development efforts in Benin and Burkina Faso

Helwise Boya, Wendpanga Nicolas Djiguemde, and Ahmadou Youssoufou Abdoul-Razak are UN Volunteers in Benin and Burkina Faso. They serve with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). In this story, we look at the support they provide to the development efforts in West and Central Africa.

“Empowering young people with digital skills can transform their future and lead to gender equality,” says Helwise Boya, UN Volunteer Innovation and Technology Officer with UNFPA in Benin. She is passionate about making a positive change through volunteering. Helwise supports the #Tech4Girls project, which has imparted digital and entrepreneurial skills to over 200 girls, opening new career paths and boosting their confidence.

Louise Chamberlain appointed as UNV Deputy Executive Coordinator

Louise brings more than 20 years’ experience of leadership in multilateral development cooperation combined with deep knowledge and passion for low-carbon, sustainable and inclusive economic development, human rights, elections, and local governance, as well as digitalization. She currently works as the Senior Regional Advisor on Green Transformation at the United Nations Development Programme Istanbul Regional Hub and served as UNDP Resident Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic from 2019-2023.

Supporting the voice of youth in decision-making

Faris Bečić, a UN Volunteer Youth Associate served with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Based in Centar Sarajevo, a municipality of the main city, he helped create new opportunities for the education and employment of young people. This is his story.
 

Faris's volunteer assignment centered on the Regional Programme for Local Democracy in the Western Balkans 2 (ReLOaD2). The project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by UNDP is aimed at supporting participatory democracies and EU integration in six countries in the Western Balkans — Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of them.