Local youth help vulnerable tribal groups in Maharashtra, India

Hindprabha Karve
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“It is very important to encourage youth to take ownership of key issues affecting their community and to voice these to the local government.” Hindprabha Karve is a national UN Youth Volunteer District Coordinator in the state of Maharashtra, western region of India. The state’s Thane-Palghar region is home to the Katkaris – a particularly vulnerable tribal group. The Katkaris are driven to leave their homes due to crushing poverty and a complete lack of traditional employment. The displacement of families has caused rampant malnutrition in Palghar district. Some 600 children died of malnourishment in the district in 2016 alone.

Hindprabha mobilizes youth in the district, and talks about her volunteer work: “Over the last year, 16 community youth volunteers were mobilized to work in Palghar district. We focus our efforts on reducing malnutrition deaths in the district. We help identify acutely malnourished children and refer them to a care center. We also help create awareness in the community about causes and ill-effects of malnutrition.”

Youth volunteers end open defecation in Kerala’s district

Toney Thomas
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“The state authorities view the volunteers with Nehru Yuva Kendra as people who intervene to get the job done.” Toney Thomas is a national UN Volunteer District Youth Coordinator in the state of Kerala, south of India. One of the challenges faced by the state’s Ernakulam district is open defecation. The tribal population residing in the district continues to practice primitive traditional methods, including defecating in the open. This is a result of lack of education and limited connection with the outside world.

Toney talks about the situation, “Open defecation poses a serious threat to the health of children in India, with 188,000 children under the age of five dying of diarrhea in the country. I took the risk and without any financial support for advance planning, took on the challenge of mass mobilizing community youth volunteers.”

One of the hardest areas to reach is Variyam, a small tribal village nestled in thick forests.

Volunteering to foster sustainable livelihoods for women and youth in Sikkim, India

Sangita Dahal
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“We have to mobilize youth and women to be part of the action.” Sangita Dahal is a national UN Volunteer District Youth Coordinator in Namchi, Sikkim, the northeastern state of India. South Sikkim is emerging as one of the fastest developing regions in the country, and its district Namchi’s women desire to acquire skills and explore livelihood options to be self-sufficient. Youth are perceived as vulnerable to anti-social activities, including drug abuse and trafficking.

Sangita talks about her volunteer assignment. “Through the project I manage, 12 community youth volunteers implement activities and campaigns to create awareness about women self-help groups, financial literacy and youth participation in government schemes, organize blood donations and health camps.”

Empoderar a las mujeres tras el terremoto de Ecuador

Michelle Pazmiño
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En la respuesta a la emergencia por el terremoto de abril de 2016 en Ecuador, mi trabajo como Voluntaria ONU nacional, Oficial de Protección, con la Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM) consistía en promover la participación de las mujeres y de las adolescentes en los procesos de toma de decisiones dentro de los albergues.

Muchas de las actividades que desarrollaba estaban directamente relacionadas con las familias afectadas por el terremoto, específicamente con las mujeres y sus hijas e hijos en espacios de capacitación para la prevención de la violencia de género, ayudando a las mujeres y a sus familias a identificar patrones violentos, así como las rutas de protección a las cuales deben recurrir.

The fight is not over in the struggle for gender equality

Josephine Monger
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"I provide peer education to youth in my community–especially to girls–on rape and sexual exploitation," says Josephine Monger, national UN Volunteer Field Monitor with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Liberia. She is one of 18 UN Volunteers serving with UNDP in the country.

The issue of women’s rights is a global issue. The status of women’s rights around the world is an important indicator of global well-being. Despite many successes in empowering women, numerous issues still persist in all areas of life. For example, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence is increasing in a variety of forms in Liberia. While there may be a decrease in some instances of physical domestic violence, both physical and emotional abuse continue to occur. 

New UN Youth Volunteers in Bonn before their deployment to Africa, Asia and Europe

Bonn, Germany
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The training is a way to inform and prepare the youth volunteers to better understand the role of UN Youth Volunteers in the context of the United Nations.

The Governments of Korea, Ireland, Luxembourg and China are funding the volunteer assignments of these UN Youth Volunteers. After their training, they will serve in Myanmar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kosovo, Mongolia, State of Palestine, Panama, Sri Lanka, Timor Leste, Zimbabwe, Viet Nam, Senegal, Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Thailand.

Emphasizing the role of women and their participation

Anita Bianchi
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“Simply because women are engaged in economic activity does not always mean that they have decent work or that their contribution is being fully recognized.” Anita Bianchi is a UN Youth Volunteer in Private Sector Development with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Sudan. Her assignment is funded by the Government of Italy.

Sudan is a vast and diverse country with many facets. The landscape itself is reminiscent of this diversity – Sudan goes from hot deserts to green areas around the Nile. The same diversity applies to the faces of the people you meet. My experience in engaging with women as part of my assignment has also been quite diverse.

Armed conflict has incessantly affected the country. The role of women in the full spectrum of society is fluctuating. My volunteer assignment enables me to look at facets of this spectrum and contribute in any way I can.

No barriers of time or place: the UNV Online Volunteering service as a global solution for SDGs

Bonn, Germany
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The event, labelled “the world’s first playable policy conference,” brought together leading thinkers, policy-makers and civil society, together with gaming experts and policy simulators, to discuss critical ideas and showcase innovative solutions to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNV has been at the forefront of quality innovation and radical ideas when it comes to the definition and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

No barriers of time or place: the UNV Online Volunteering service as a global solution for SDGs

print pdf
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The event, labelled “the world’s first playable policy conference,” brought together leading thinkers, policy-makers and civil society, together with gaming experts and policy simulators, to discuss critical ideas and showcase innovative solutions to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

UNV has been at the forefront of quality innovation and radical ideas when it comes to the definition and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Promoting global citizenship through learning and dialogue

Simon Kuany
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Simon Kuany (South Sudan) is a UN Volunteer with the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), in New Delhi, India. Funded generously by the Indian Government, MGIEP was formed in 2012 and since then has contributed to transforming education for humanity.  It is an integral part of UNESCO, and the organization’s specialist institute on education for peace and sustainable development to foster global citizenship.

Simon serves as the Associate Project Officer at the institute, which follows Gandhi's principles – inclusion and non-violence.

During his assignment, Simon has been working on three projects, with a focus on empowering the young generation and training their independent thinking skills by asking them to solve real, tough global issues. 

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