The value of volunteering in driving collective actions

Lucy Ndungu, Regional Manager, UNV East and Southern Africa
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2023 marked the midpoint in implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the 2023 SDGs report, existing gaps in implementation of the SDGs were underlined. The report also emphasized the immense potential for success through strong political will and the utilization of available technologies, resources, and knowledge. 

To get back on track, the report highlighted that urgent actions are needed to change course and reimagine our futures. These actions must be collective, strategic and evidence based.     

Community UN Volunteers in Bangladesh bolster climate adaptive communities

UNV partners with UNDP
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Bangladesh grapples with consequences of rapid climate change, with rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and unpredictable water patterns that threaten the very fabric of life for millions. 44 Community UN Volunteers take on challenges to build climate-resilient communities through adaptive measures in Bangladesh and act for change through a partnership between UNV and UNDP. 14 assignments of this initiative are funded through the UNV’s Special Voluntary Fund to reinforce inclusion of professionals from marginalized communities.

The Community UN Volunteers were selected from 22 unions under Bandarban and Rangamati districts representing the marginalized group of ethnic minorities descending from tribal groups in the hard-to-reach terrains of Hill District Regions - 58% women. The volunteers began their assignments in December 2023 to support the multi-donor Local Government Initiative on Climate Change (LoGiC).

Online Volunteers with UNDP enhance justice in South Sudan

Mr. Tendai Chabvuta, Transitional Justice Specialist, UNDP South Sudan
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UN Development Programme (UNDP) in South Sudan has been supporting the Government of South Sudan to implement provisions of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). The Agreement was a political mechanism aimed at ushering a peaceful political transition in South Sudan. Key to the provisions of the Agreement is Article V of the R-ARCSS which provides for the establishment of transitional justice mechanisms namely the Commission on Truth Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH); the Compensation and Reparations Authority (CRA) and the Hybrid Court for South Sudan (HCS). 

Through the UNDP Transitional Justice project funded by the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, UNDP South Sudan has been collaborating with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the Greater Bahr El Ghazal; Greater Equatoria and Greater Upper Nile areas to ensure that the voices of South Sudanese are included and heard in all processes. The CSOs have been using their communication channels to provide information about the transitional justice mechanisms to communities of victims and survivors of conflict.

IVD 2023 Celebration in Thailand– Calling on everyone for a better world.

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The high-level gathering convened more than 450 onsite participants and more than 3000 online viewers. They included representatives from the Government, UN partners, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Volunteer Involved Organizations, academia, influencers, and volunteers who came together to recognize the spirit of volunteerism in shaping a better world.

New paths, enriching opportunities: online volunteering

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Online Volunteering service within the UN Volunteers Programme provides a way to gain professional experience in a UN system while offering your expertise virtually to advance global peace and contributing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Moreover, the online volunteering journey can create new and unexpected opportunities. This is how Nazlı Güzin Özdil’s and Hassan Samini Ngala’s story began. 

Nazlı is a passionate Turkish volunteer who discovered her love for voluntarism during community service projects, where she tutored at a village school. With her background in teaching English and a Master’s in Social Policy, Nazlı’s dream was to combine her desire to serve #foreverychild and her evidence-generation skills. She would later describe volunteering as “devotion, sharing and impactful”.

Success Story
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In Liberia, a nation symbolic of its tapestry of natural beauty, vibrant traditions, and a resilient spirit that runs through its people
18.12.2023

From Vision to Visionary: Unveiling Diversity and Empowering Inclusion

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