UN Volunteers can be role models of social change and reconciliation

Thu, 08/03/2017 - 12:00

Sadhani Rajapakse

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Sri Lanka is a nation with a rich volunteer culture embedded within the day-to-day activities of its citizens. For this reason, volunteering is a subconscious norm that is part of everyone’s lives, including mine. Still, working as a UN Youth Volunteer was a life-changing experience. It helped me discover that youth have the capacity and dedication needed to contribute to national initiatives through volunteerism.

I served as a national UN Volunteer in Sri Lanka. During this time, something I found most interesting was the opportunity to work with volunteers who are diverse in every possible way; be it gender, ethnicity, language or religion.

Revitalizing volunteerism through partnerships for the SDGs in Serbia

Conference "Volunteerism for the Sustainable Development Goals"

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On 6 July 2017, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in Serbia jointly with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) hosted in Belgrade a conference entitled Volunteerism for the Sustainable Development Goals. UNV Serbia facilitated the NGO, CSO and VIO joint-meeting to share knowledge, connect networks, and draw on best practices.

Revitalizing volunteerism through partnerships for the SDGs in Serbia

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Why Youth Will Determine ASEAN's Success in the Digital Revolution

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In collaboration with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN Foundation and SAP along with other partners have launched the Youth Volunteering Innovation Challenge (YVIC) in ASEAN. Under the theme “Impact ASEAN,” the initiative supports young volunteers throughout the ASEAN countries in their journey to catalyze youth-led innovation for social impact and sustainable development...

Exchanging experiences and knowledge of youth volunteering in ASEAN

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A conference facilitated by UNV promoted South-South cooperation and highlighted the role of volunteerism to common development challenges in countries across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and beyond. NBT World covers the event for Thailand.

In Jordan, volunteering provides opportunities to reach the most vulnerable

Fri, 07/14/2017 - 12:00

Nadeen Al Hadidi

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UN Volunteer Nadeen Al Hadidi serves with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Jordan. She assures that international support provided by UNICEF, other UN agencies and civil society organizations reaches the most vulnerable.

Nadeen participates today in the side event "Harnessing the Power of Volunteering to Achieve the 2030 Agenda" organized by the International Forum for Volunteering in Development (Forum) in New York, in the framework of the High-Level Political Forum for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Cheese exchange”: an initiative for women’s economic empowerment

Tue, 10/17/2017 - 12:00

Martina Schlapbach

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During a field monitoring mission as a UN Volunteer Associate Project Officer with UN Women in Tajikistan, I got to know the female leaders of two dairies which, independently from each other, approached me with their idea to produce a hard cheese as a more durable dairy product.

Increasing youth employment in Tajikistan through the promotion of entrepreneurship

Thu, 08/10/2017 - 12:00

Start-Up Choihona project

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In Tajikistan, where 70 per cent of the population is under the age of 30, it is essential to enhance entrepreneurship and create more decent and fulfilling jobs for young people. The Start-Up Choihona project, initiated by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, is a joint initiative of government, development and private sector partners to support innovative entrepreneurship to increase youth employment.

One international UN Volunteer, ten community volunteers, and one UN Online Volunteer are running the Start-Up Choihona project, which has so far organized two national entrepreneurial competitions promoting innovation and youth employment. Quarterly competitions offer an opportunity for new entrepreneurs to present their unique business ideas to a panel of judges. Given the chance to pitch their ideas, Tajik entrepreneurs have the chance to get feedback on whether their business ideas could work and gain access to valuable networks of potential business partners and investors.

Why UNV is the key to gender parity at the UN

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Impactpool's most recent talent survey shows that women who served as an UN Volunteer before their first UN staff position are close to 70% more likely to stay in the UN system compared with colleagues not having any previous UN Volunteer experience.

Refugees turned UN Volunteers educate fellow refugees

Beirut, Lebanon

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In Lebanon, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) delivers education services to Palestinian youth who, despite their refugee status, deserve the opportunity to be students.

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