Always a UN Volunteer at heart—a blog by Ambassador of Canada to the UN

Michael Gort, Ambassador of Canada to the UN and a former UN Volunteer
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As I sit in my office in New York, reflecting on my journey from United Nations Volunteers (UNV) to Ambassador of Canada and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, it's the fieldwork that I cherish the most. These experiences—both the successes and the struggles—shaped me into the diplomat I am today. In 1995, I was a UN Volunteer with the United Nations Verification Mission for Human Rights in Guatemala (MINUGUA), which not only prepared me for working with the UN, but also made this journey possible. I’m proud and grateful to say that I was—and still am—a UN Volunteer at heart. 

At 28, while working for Human Rights Internet in Ottawa, I discovered that UNV was recruiting volunteers for Guatemala. Volunteering had always been close to my heart, even before my time as a UN Volunteer. During my university days, I helped a Salvadoran refugee family who had fled El Salvador’s civil war, facilitating their integration into Canadian society.

A decade of giving, a lifetime of growth

Saltanat Boteu, Communication Associate at UNDP Kazakhstan
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 I believe there is one essential element in all our lives as human beings that deserves recognition: helping and supporting people and the environment—the core value of volunteering. 

On December 5, International Volunteer Day, 2024, the United Nations Development Programme Administrator, Achim Steiner, called on our communities to recognise and appreciate the contributions of one billion volunteers worldwide. These volunteers support local and international communities in various contexts, including crises. They engage both on-site and online, working on tasks ranging from supporting individuals to organising large-scale events. Their impact is undeniable. 

Step it up for women's rights, equality, empowerment

United Nations Volunteers
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Every year, the International Women's Day calls for action on gender equality. At its core—is the empowerment of the next generation—youth, especially young women and adolescent girls. In Europe and Central Asia, the 16 Days of Activism against gender-based violence was a stark reminder to preserve human rights, promote gender equality, and most importantly, the power of collective action in leaving no one behind. 230 UN Volunteers came together for the campaign.

Yağmur Söylemez, UN Volunteer from Türkiye navigated through her volunteering experience and shared, "Volunteering gave me the courage to confront inequalities head-on, raise my voice  and inspire others to take action." She raised awareness on the structural barriers facing women in their daily lives.

My volunteer journey from Bamyan to Dhaka

Zahra Hussaini, UN Volunteer Programme Support Officer
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I hail from the storied city of Bamyan, Afghanistan, where the echoes of ancient civilizations still linger, but the voice of Shahmama (the female Buddha in Bamyan) is suffocated! I am Zahra Hussaini and this is my story.

There was no girl to recite the alphabet
And there was no one to write
No one to read
Those sounds, the girl’s sounds
Had died under the brickbat of idiotism
And Buddha collapsed out of shame.

My poetry echoes the challenges in my homeland—Afghanistan.

Despite these challenges, particularly for women and girls, I've found a path of purpose as a UN Volunteer. 

UNV and ILO release a new paper on volunteering and unpaid care work

United Nations Volunteers, Bonn
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The paper looks deeper at unpaid care and volunteering—classifying them as significant for societal well-being and economic development. While these activities are essential civic duties that support communities and individuals in need, they often go unrecognized.

The perspective that only paid activities qualify as work stems from a widespread misconception and obscures the vital contributions volunteering makes to our communities.

Conserving biodiversity in Liberia

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Sixteen UN Volunteers with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) support Liberia’s LEH GO GREEN project. This European Union-funded project focuses on forest users and forest fringe communities in Liberia's Northwest and Southeastern landscapes, including Gola Forest National Park and Grebo-Krahn National Park. Let's hear from UN Volunteers who provide field support for nurseries and plantations with efficient governance of natural resources, sustainable forestry, and biodiversity conservation at the core of volunteering efforts.

 

Leading the day-to-day operations for LEH GO GREEN is Emmanuel Korkolie, UN Volunteer Project Officer. He oversees 15 UN Volunteers and coordinates with partner organizations to make sure the project stays on track. He also designs monitoring and data collection tools to track project outcomes. These tools used weekly and monthly, are essential for assessing the progress of the project and for overall accountability.

Refugees in Jordan inspire hope through volunteering

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Five remarkable Syrian refugee volunteers are making a difference with UNHCR in Jordan. These individuals are part of a larger group of 32 refugees who have transformed their challenges into stories of hope and resilience. Drawing from their personal journeys, they bring unique perspectives to their roles, using compassion and determination to uplift their communities. This article highlights their inspiring stories and the impact they have made.

Muteeb Al Hamdan, once an English teacher, now serves as an interpreter with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.. Describing his journey as “a passage from despair to hope, from terror to safety, one that felt like an ending but became a new beginning”, he found in his assignment an opportunity to use his translation skills to make a difference. With a diploma in humanitarian translation, he assists refugees and visiting delegations, ensuring seamless communication across languages and cultures.

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