Volunteer networks are mobilized to monitor Guatemala’s volcanic eruptions

José Rolando Herrera
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Community organization is key in post-disaster recovery and in the creation of early warning systems in Guatemala. José Rolando Herrera, national UN Volunteer, Responsible for Territorial Post Disaster Recovery, is part of the UNDP Guatemala team that works together with the Executive Secretariat of the National Coordinator for Disaster Reduction and the National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology of Guatemala. Together they monitor, respond, and provide early recovery mechanisms for areas affected by volcanic hazards.

The eruption of the Guatemala’s Volcano of Fire ocurred on June 3, 2018, causing the death of more than 300 people and the evacuation of more than 4,000 inhabitants in the surrounding areas.

UN Volunteers mobilized in response to food crisis in Central Mali

Mali
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Sévaré, Mopti region, Mali. 7 May 2019. The thermometer shows 43 degrees Celsius. A new-born child wakes up wrapped in a loincloth, on a mat next to his mother inside a tent where a dozen women and children are resting. The baby was born the day before and will be named seven days later, according to custom. A short distance away, some children are energetically pounding grain.

Mariagiovanna Costa is a UN Volunteer of Italian nationality serving at the sub-office of the World Food Program (WFP) in the Mopti region. She visits the internally displaced families of the ‘CAN 2002 Socoura’ camp, named after the former training football stadium of the African Cup of Nations.

Women lead progress of 2030 Agenda in indigenous communities in Latin America

María Agustina Rato, Sara Omi Casamá, Claudia Sigüenza
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Women who serve as volunteers in indigenous communities of Guatemala, Panama and Ecuador, are leading the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. The creation of consensus and rules to protect biodiversity, the preservation of genetic resources and ancestral knowledge, and the empowerment of women survivors of sexual and gender-based violence are some of the prioritized issues in which volunteering generates impact at the local level.

The implementation of Agenda 2030 in Latin America and the Caribbean requires an intercultural approach that favors integration and inclusion, especially relevant for the establishment of joint work and dialogue with communities identified values and traditions of the vast and varied range of indigenous peoples that inhabit the region

Volunteer women who harvest peace in Colombia

Maira Alejandra Echeverry Prada, UN Volunteer Reincorporation and Rural Development Specialist
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As part of the peace process in Colombia, women volunteers guide former FARC-EP members in their productive initiatives and execution of their projects from the agricultural sector. The incorporation of volunteering in the work of the Mission has allowed many people to be protagonists of such a historic peace process. Women have been key in the implementation of the agreement, even in areas traditionally dominated by men, such as agriculture.

On November 24, 2016, after a confrontation lasting more than half a century, the National Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) agreed to definitively end the internal armed conflict, with the signature of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace.

Supporting dialogue, resilience and reconciliation, the pillars of peace in Colombia

UNV partnering with UNDP and OHCHR
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The inclusion of young people and women in the processes of peace, justice and strong institutions is essential in Colombia. Likewise, the institutionalization of dialogue and consolidation of the 2030 Agenda have been identified as country purposes. UN Volunteers contribute to the construction of inter-sectoral bridges, guaranteeing that no one is left behind in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)16, peace, justice and strong institutions.

The National Voluntary Report of Colombia 2018, identifies as the main milestones of the country the creation of an intersectorial institution aimed at leading the implementation of the SDGs, and the alignment between the peace negotiations and the 2030 Agenda.

With the signing of the Peace Agreement, Colombia began a new era where the construction of a stable and lasting peace will allow Colombian society to concentrate on achieving true sustainable development.

Women volunteers possessing traditional knowledge and genetic resources are scientists in their own stead

UNV partnering with UNDP and the Global Environment Facility
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The UNDP-GEF Global Access and Benefits Sharing (ABS) Project recognizes the value of traditional knowledge and the role of women in preserving and transmitting it to new generations. Supported by UNV, the project promotes the participation of women from indigenous populations as volunteers for the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol. Rich in traditional knowledge and genetic resource knowledge, these women are scientists in their own stead.

The fair and equitable distribution of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources is one of the three pillars of the Convention on Biological Diversity, and its application is the main objective of the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing (ABS).

More than 50 volunteers from indigenous populations and local universities collaborate to guarantee access to genetic resources and fair and equitable distribution of the benefits derived from their use in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Panama.

Promoting a just, peaceful and inclusive society in Bolivia

Damien Wolff, international UN Volunteer Specialist in Bolivia
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During my two-year mission in Bolivia, I assisted the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in promoting and implementing actions towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 16, peace, justice and strong institutions. I had the opportunity to make a contribution to the building of a peaceful and inclusive society, with access to justice for all through effective and accountable institutions. As a result of volunteering, I feel I have grown in the best possible way as a person and as a professional.

My arrival in Bolivia at the end of 2015 coincided with two important milestones for the country and for the organisation I came to serve. On the one hand, Bolivia was looking forward to its first Justice Summit, as a result of a long and comprehensive process of reflection and consultation on the reform of the country’s justice system. On the other hand, UNODC was on the verge of developing a new multiannual assistance framework for the period 2016-2020 that needed to fully take into account Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development.

Communicating to support the displaced in Congo’s Pool region

Florence Danner
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As a passionate communicator, I have been serving as UN Volunteer in Congo since October 2015. I am a Communication Specialist for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Congo Brazzaville.

My daily work is very busy and captivating. I promote UNDP and the United Nations system projects and work with national and international partners to support our actions and ensure the visibility of our results. I help coordinate the communication activities of UN agencies in the country along with other UN communication officers. I meet regularly beneficiaries of UNDP, especially  young people, in order to conduct interviews or reports.

I have found myself passionate about communicating about the SDGs and I regularly train local NGOs on this topic.

Providing security and maintaining peace in Northern Mali

Ouedraogo Mohamadi
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My inspiration comes from the first UN Volunteers I met in Darfur. They often live far from home and in some cases, serve in hostile situations. Through them I see that everyone should work daily to support and maintain peace. My model is the United Nations with all its volunteers and their great ideas.

My name is Ouedraogo Mohamadi. I am an international UN Volunteer working as an information analyst at the Joint Mission Analysis Centre (JMAC) of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). I started in Kidal but now work in Gao, Northern Mali. My role is to collect and analyse data as part of MINUSMA's mandate. I also assist the Head of the Mission in Gao. I help ensure that the mission's mandate is carried out.

UN Volunteer with UNICEF works with drones on emergency flood response in Malawi

International Volunteer Day 2017
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Working in Malawi has always been exciting. As a student in conflict and development, I came to the country to conduct research on street vendors and organizational structures in the markets. Three years later, I find myself working with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, as part of UNICEF’s emergency flood response.

Malawi has limited road access to rural areas, and after a flash flood earth roads can turn to rivers, completely cutting off affected communities. Using drones, we fly over the affected area and see clearly what the impact has been on the ground, using this information to inform the disaster response.

The Disaster Coordinator, Blessings, called the crisis team together to discuss the assessment mission, the benefits of drones and how they can assist in coordinating the response.

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