UN Volunteers strengthen the integration of Syrian women in Turkey through community volunteering

South Anatolia, Turkey
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Maintaining social cohesion, especially in Turkey, which hosts the world’s largest number of refugees and asylum-seekers is crucial for the stability in the region. The peaceful co-existence of different social, ethnic and religious groups within the host communities is especially essential. UNV and key partners in the Southeast Anatolia region have been working to strengthen social and economic integration of Syrian women through providing community volunteer-based solutions.

In Turkey, three UN Volunteers worked together for 22 months with Kirkayak Kültür Sanat ve Doga Dernegi, and Mardin Meydanbaşı ÇATOM-Community Participation and Development Association on integrating high quality and well-supported UN Volunteers and volunteerism in their programmes to tackle challenges in social cohesion, assist in volunteer-related capacity building for non-governmental organizations, and empower Syrian women.

Investing in the economic empowerment of indigenous women in Loja, Ecuador

Jasmin Blessing, UN Volunteer with UN Women in Ecuador
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Loja is one of the poorest provinces of Ecuador in the Southern part of the country, sharing border with Peru, and currently is experiencing serious desertification. This land degradation under changing climate impacts particularly rural communities, as they are highly dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods. Especially women in rural areas in developing countries - like those I collaborated with in Loja - are impacted.

Women in Loja, mostly of indigenous descent, play a critical role in their economy, by managing small businesses and/or providing informal care for family members. They participate in crop production and livestock farming, and provide food and fuel for their families. However, indigenous women in Loja are disproportionally affected by poverty, gender inequalities and discrimination and do not enjoy the same rights and opportunities as men. For example, Ecuadorian’ women bear disproportionate responsibility for unpaid care work.

Applications open for UNV and UNICEF Youth Advocates Programme

Bonn, Germany
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In the pursuit of its mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, UNICEF recognizes that youth over 18 years old have proven to be key advocates and change makers. UNICEF has historically engaged modest numbers of youth volunteers in their advocacy and programmatic work. The organization is now looking to strengthen this by engaging youth in a systematic and formalized programme to deliver results for children.

Applications open for UNV and UNICEF Youth Advocates Programme

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In the pursuit of its mandate to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, UNICEF recognizes that youth over 18 years old have proven to be key advocates and change makers. UNICEF has historically engaged modest numbers of youth volunteers in their advocacy and programmatic work. The organization is now looking to strengthen this by engaging youth in a systematic and formalized programme to deliver results for children.

UN Volunteers helping to achieve Health for All

World Health Day
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During 2017, nearly 250 UN Volunteers worldwide served in assignments that are clearly linked to medical professions. They bolstered the work of 23 UN partner entities, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Populations Fund (UNFPA), UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNAIDS, as well as 13 UN peacekeeping missions. Through their assignments, they contribute significantly to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, which targets achieving healthy lives and wellbeing for all.

Community volunteers take development challenges on air

Quetta, Pakistan
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Communities in Pakistan are expressing their concerns on issues of gender equality, health and safety through community radio programmes. UNV and UN Women partnered in the west of the country to teach volunteers how to use effective radio broadcasts to inspire participation and change.

UN Women and UN Volunteers launched a community-focused radio project in Quetta, Pakistan, in 2017. The aim of this project was to empower women through community focused-radio and volunteerism. It engaged marginalized women and youth in two towns, and established establish community-based radio programmes for entertainment, information and education purposes.

UNV and China: 35 years of collaboration

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Since 1981, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has nurtured an active and fruitful partnership with the Government of the People’s Republic of China and other partners. Together, we support social and economic development and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) throughout the country.

In 2016, 30 national UN Volunteers served in China to support the SDGs and inclusive development. 19 Chinese nationals served as UN Volunteers overseas to promote peace and development. 293 Chinese nationals volunteered online through UNV’s Online Volunteering service.

Volunteers respond to growing needs of Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh

International Volunteer Day 2017
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Since August 2017, violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar has driven an estimated 621,000 Rohingya people across the border into Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. Formal and informal volunteers are helping respond to the needs of the Rohingya population. UN Volunteers are working day and night to support UN agencies providing assistance on the ground.

The speed and scale of the influx has resulted in a critical humanitarian emergency, with refugees reliant on humanitarian assistance for food and other life-saving needs.

Ashraful Islam is a national UN Volunteer supporting the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in developing women-friendly spaces, gathering data from the field and distributing medical kits.

Girun Beyene, international UN volunteer from Sudan is serving with UNFPA in Bangladesh to incorporate disaggregated data into UNFPA Project documents.

International conference in China to strengthen South-South Cooperation through volunteering

Beijing, China
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The two-day conference is co-hosted by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the Beijing Volunteer Service Federation (BVF), and aims to continue building a strong Southern constituency and voice in international volunteering and co-create new ideas on how volunteering can be effectively mainstreamed to support national development priorities by low- and middle-income countries. It also aims to identify new opportunities for innovative partnerships to jointly overcome development challenges through international volunteering.

International conference in China to strengthen South-South Cooperation through volunteering

UNV and South-South Cooperation
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The two-day conference is co-hosted by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and the Beijing Volunteer Service Federation (BVF), and aims to continue building a strong Southern constituency and voice in international volunteering and co-create new ideas on how volunteering can be effectively mainstreamed to support national development priorities by low- and middle-income countries. It also aims to identify new opportunities for innovative partnerships to jointly overcome development challenges through international volunteering.

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