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. 

Enhancing capacity to resolve conflicts and build peace

Solomon Bekele
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Solomon Bekele is a UN Volunteer Pastoralist Literacy and Education Specialist with UNESCO in Juba, South Sudan. He serves as Field Manager with the Enhanced Knowledge and Education for Resilience Pastoralist Livelihoods project. This is a three year EU-funded project being implemented in the former Lakes State. The project is implemented by UNESCO, in partnership with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and government line ministries, Ministry of Education, Agriculture and Animal Resources.

Solomon focuses on supporting UNESCO's education component of the project, implementing literacy and numeracy programmes at cattle camps within the Lakes State pastoralist communities. 

"As a volunteer, I have gained experience and understanding of the diverse ways of life of communities in the pastoral communities.  I am glad I am helping build their capacity and resilience." 

Addressing climate change in Morocco

Valentin Hervouet
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Valentin Hervouet, a UN Youth Volunteer in Local Governance and Development with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), was deployed in Morocco from September 2015 to September 2016. His assignment was funded by the Government of France.

I was especially interested in supporting local development and climate action projects.

I provided programme management support for a variety of projects that were related to renewable energy, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable local development.

UNV Virtual Network - Communications

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Making a difference through communication

Manon Cabaup
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Manon Cabaup, UN Youth Volunteer funded by France, was deployed in the Union of the Comoros from March 2015 to January 2016.

I was a UN Youth Volunteer in Comoros for a little less than a year. Comoros is situated off the south-east coast of Africa; Mozambique is on its east and Madagascar on the north-west.

During my assignment, I worked as a UN Youth Volunteer in Communication for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Protecting human rights in Senegal

Ilya Novikov
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Ilya Novikov is a UN Youth Volunteer in Protection and Promotion of Human Rights at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Senegal since March 2016. His assignment is funded by Switzerland.

I am based in Dakar and part of a dedicated team of five people working towards the promotion and protection of human rights across the 14 West African States. A challenging and fascinating mission in a few words is but a gross understatement.

My area of responsibility includes economic, social and cultural rights of the local people, the rights of people on the move, especially asylum seekers, as well the human rights situation in Niger. This is especially where I saw my mission bringing the United Nations closer to the people we serve.

The hours spent in cyberspace can make a difference to our future

João Antônio dos Santos Lima
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Many factors influenced my decision to volunteer, but there are three motivations that stand out: my education, daily routine and the will to do something more. I have a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, and I always wanted to collaborate in some way on international causes that directly impact my daily life. My second motivation was the time I spend online every day, as many other young people my age. I realized that I could use that time to become an agent of change in my virtual community.

I was selected as a UN Online Volunteer for a project in which we developed content on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and spread it on social networks. I was already volunteering at an electronic newspaper and I asked for the authorization to use my weekly column to give the campaign more visibility.

Leaving a positive mark on the planet

Haneul Kim
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Haneul Kim served as an international UN University Volunteer on Communications with UNDP’s Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme (GEF SGP) in Uzbekistan. She developed a cartoon series to explain, clearly and simply, how the work of GEF SGP benefits plants and the earth. Her UNV assignment was fully funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

If I can describe the work of the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme in one sentence, I would say that it works for both the protection of the environment and development. Most people would think that protecting the environment is something that distracts society from developing technologies, facilities, and the making of profits. However, GEF SGP is the place where we research how to do both simultaneously.

Understanding the full spectrum of human resilience

Heidi Lehto
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Heidi Lehto is a UN Volunteer Child Protection Officer with UNICEF in Sudan whose assignment is fully funded by the Government of Finland. Before becoming a UN Volunteer, she worked with Finn Church Aid and the Lutheran World Federation in Liberia, Ethiopia and Uganda. She is one of 12 UN Volunteers fully funded by the Government of Finland currently serving in nine countries in Africa, Asia and Europe and CIS.

In 2015, I got the opportunity to become a UN Volunteer Child Protection Officer with UNICEF in Sudan. In a country severely affected by armed conflict, displacement and food insecurity, the humanitarian needs remain critical. In addition to an estimated 2.2 million people displaced internally, Sudan has received over a quarter of a million refugees fleeing the war in South Sudan. Approximate 70 per cent of these displaced people are children.

UN Volunteers support cross-border operations between Turkey and Syria

Gaziantep, Turkey
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