Promoting Volunteerism for Peace and Development

VOLUNTEERISM FOR PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT . 5volunteerism, are vital for achieving thesegoals. It is also widely recognized that topromote sustainable human development,peace is a prerequisite in that process.Volunteerism benefits society at large andthe individual volunteer by strengtheningsolidarity and reciprocity among citizens.It can transform the pace and nature ofdevelopment and peace initiatives.“Many of the volunteers had no job, nomoney, had nothing to do all day…Through their voluntary work they wereable to increase their self-esteem, feeluseful in their community and take onresponsibilities. They felt they wereactively contributing and playing a partin their own development…Volunteering can develop suchincredible power and value in the way itchannels energies, enthusiasm,commitment and skills that otherwisewould be wasted or perhaps even usedin a destructive way.“Achim Merlo, UNV Programme Officer inKyrgyzstan on his experiences in theFerghana Valley, Central AsiaUNV and volunteerism for peace anddevelopment“UN Volunteers and the United NationVolunteer (UNV) programme are notmerely about providing human resourcesor filling the gap, but in fact assisting anduplifting communities so that people canaspire for a better tomorrow.“Haoliang Xu, former UNDP CountryDirector in PakistanThe United Nations Volunteers (UNV)programme is inspired by the convictionthat volunteerism is a powerful means ofengaging people in tackling developmentchallenges worldwide. Everyone cancontribute their time, skills and knowledgethrough volunteer action and theircombined efforts can be a significantforce for achieving peace anddevelopment.“The difference UNV makes is bydemonstrating peace and developmentresults and impact through volunteerism.UNV’s comparative advantage is theability and knowledge to bring abouttransformational change throughvolunteerism, community voluntary actionand civic engagement through activepartnership with civil society, volunteerinvolving organizations, UN agencies andGovernment. This is inspiration in action.”