Volunteerism to empower women and prevent gender-based violence in Guatemala

Carlos Rivera, UN Volunteer with UN Women in Guatemala
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Gender-based violence is prevented through a comprehensive approach and interaction between the political, economic and physical autonomy of women, for the exercise of effective citizenship that ensures the sustainability of all actions. Through volunteerism, I can contribute to empowering women and building resilient communities in Guatemala.

According to the National Employment and Income Survey (ENEI), in Guatemala, 58.6 per cent of women live in poverty and 22.8 per cent in extreme poverty.

Poverty is greater in the rural population, particularly in the Maya, Xinca and Garífuna peoples, communities that live under a constant condition of injustice and deprivation of their basic rights, affecting their women, girls and adolescents with greater ferocity.

Advocating for human rights and access to justice for communities in Guinea

UNV partnering with OHCHR
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In West and Central Africa, much progress is being made in the promotion and defense of human rights. UN Volunteers are a driving force behind this improvement. In Guinea, for example, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) recognizes the commitment, capacities and contribution of UN Volunteers to ensuring that people's rights are respected.

For Firmin Sindaye, a native of Burundi, his motivation to serve as a UN Volunteer was fuelled by his desire to serve the cause of human rights wherever he is. Holder of a Master’s Degree in international and European human rights, Firmin has 15 years of national and international experience with local human rights organizations and the United Nations in the area of human rights protection, reporting and advocacy. 

UNV-BVF collaborative project awarded gold medal in Chinese Youth Volunteer Service Project Competition

UNV partnering with China
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A collaborative project of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the Beijing Volunteer service Federation (BVF) has been awarded a gold medal of the Chinese Youth Volunteer Service Project Competition. The competition marked the first joint event after the Memorandum of Understanding signed between UNV and the China Youth Volunteers Association (CYVA) in October 2018.

The 4th Chinese Youth Volunteer Service Project Competition and Volunteer Service Exchange Expo in 2018 was successfully held during 1-2 December in Sichuan province of China, marking International Volunteer Day under the theme 'Youth Volunteerism for the New Era'.

The hosting organizations of this volunteer event included the China Central Youth League (CYL), Central Civilization Office, and Ministry of Civil Affairs, the People’s Government of Sichuan Province and a total of 11 ministerial and provincial governmental entities.

Powering up the digital revolution for women and girls in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Ena Kosanović, Armina Fazlić and Nela Sladojevic
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The pace at which technology is evolving today makes the digital sector a highly coveted one to work for. According to the latest statistics in Europe, however, the share of men working in the digital sector is 3.1 times greater than the share of women. UN Volunteers in Bosnia and Herzegovina are determined to put an end to this imbalance through the project IT Girls, an IT skill-building initiative for women and girls. 

Driven by a partnership between the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Development Programme (UNDP), and UN Women in Bosnia and Herzegovina, IT Girls aims to make girls and women more visible in the world of Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

IVD in Asia and the Pacific: volunteers engage people for collective action

Bangkok, Thailand
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In Asia and the Pacific, there are nearly 29 million full-time equivalent volunteers. Volunteers are answering the call to serve their communities, strengthening local ownership and building their communities resilience against natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks.

IVD in East and Southern Africa: Volunteers build resilient communities

Nairobi, Kenya
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Where public support and social safety nets are absent, volunteering emerges as a fundamental survival strategy. For example, the SWVR found that in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, a group of people with disabilities organized to improve their limited access to education and to address their social exclusion in the camp. Without the voluntary networks they established, their needs would have remained invisible to others in the camp.

On IVD, UNDP and UNV celebrate their strong partnership in Tuvalu

Funafuti, Tuvalu
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International Volunteers Day is an opportunity for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts and share their work among their communities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

The day focuses on the values of volunteerism through the appreciation of local volunteers. This year we are highlighting the work of UN Volunteers in the Pacific, one of the regions where they are supporting national health responses through the UNDP-Global Fund partnership.

Happy International Volunteer Day 2018

Olivier Adam, Executive Coordinator of UNV
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This International Volunteer Day 2018, we celebrate the work of volunteers everywhere, with a focus on local volunteers working at the community level. We recognize the many ways in which people are dedicating their time to make communities more resilient against natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks. Actions from around the globe reflect how volunteers are truly inspiration in action. The scale and scope of volunteer activity in responding to shocks and stresses are unparalleled. Our State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2018 shows that the efforts of more than 1 billion volunteers is equivalent to a workforce of 109 million people engaging for a better world.

It is on the ground, in their local communities, that we really see the unique impact of volunteers.

For example, UN Volunteers are facilitating the local integration of Syrian asylum-seekers in Armenia, including those who themselves have escaped the conflict.

While in Afghanistan, UN Volunteers have brought together youth and religious leaders in dialogue on gender equality, exemplifying the power of volunteerism in bringing communities together, giving voice to marginalized groups and weaving a stronger social fabric.

International Volunteer Day 2018: Volunteers build resilient communities

Bonn, Germany
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Nurturing local volunteerism is a valuable way to bring unheard opinions, and know-how to the table, and helps to weave and strengthen the social fabric of all societies. --Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, IVD 2018

Not only are volunteers on the front lines in their own communities during hard times, but groups of local volunteers build strength to cope with future crisis. This is because volunteering makes it possible for people to self-organize, share information and respond to shocks and stresses quickly.

International Volunteer Day 2018: Volunteers build resilient communities

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Nurturing local volunteerism is a valuable way to bring unheard opinions, and know-how to the table, and helps to weave and strengthen the social fabric of all societies. --Achim Steiner, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, IVD 2018

Not only are volunteers on the front lines in their own communities during hard times, but groups of local volunteers build strength to cope with future crisis. This is because volunteering makes it possible for people to self-organize, share information and respond to shocks and stresses quickly.

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