Since the beginning of the conflict in Eastern Ukraine in 2013, some 1.7 million people have been officially registered as internally displaced persons (IDPs), an estimated 3.8 million need humanitarian assistance, and 2.9 million live in areas beyond Government control. Long-term displacement poses difficult challenges due to the lack of opportunities available to people who have abandoned their homes—forcing some to return to insecure areas in search of work. In 2016, four UN Youth Volunteers were on assignment in Kramatorsk, Eastern Ukraine. Two were helping to monitor human rights in the region while two others contributed to community security, helping reintegrate those who simply want to return home and those who remained despite the fighting.

The willingness to do good, to help others, to give, and to provide relief to the needy, are all inherent qualities of Arab culture. Volunteerism is visible throughout the region when we see, for example, the inhabitants of villages in Sudan gathering during the harvest season to cooperate without expectation of pay or material return. Much remains to be done, however, to engage Arab youth at the community level and create opportunities for their inclusion and participation through volunteerism.

Kenya is holding general elections next month. On the ballot are candidates for the Presidency and members of Parliament. UN Volunteers are on location, assisting the process. Elections are the cornerstone of a representative democracy, giving citizens the opportunity to freely chose leaders that will lead the nation on their behalf. The process provides a crucial opportunity for citizens to shape their governing structures and fashion leadership that resonates with their aspirations and vision for national development.