United Nations Volunteers Volunteerism for Peace and Development

1. United Nations VolunteersVolunteerism for Peace and Development Adeline Aubry CBA Volunteerism & Community Adaptation Specialist United Nations Development Programme June 2009

2. UNV in profile • Established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly as a development partner for the UN system. • The focal point for the promotion and wider recognition of volunteerism within the UN. • Administered by UNDP.

3. Why Volunteerism for Development? • Societies need to build their own solutions. Volunteerism is a powerful means to engage ordinary peoplein tackling development challenges and to make communities an active development actor and not anymore passive recipient. • Volunteerism is part of the fabric of most societies. Volunteers who receive guidance and organized leadership can contribute to development in a sustainable and constructive manner. • The MDGs need the contribution and support of millions of people.

4. Volunteers as a Key Development Resource • “Achieving the Millennium Development Goals • will require the contributions of • millions of ordinary people through voluntary action.” • Kofi Annan

5. What we believeVolunteerism for development • Delivers benefits • to society at large and to individual volunteers • Makes important contributions • economically and socially • Contributes to a more cohesive society • by building trust and reciprocity • Is universal, diverse and inclusive • by offering opportunities for excluded people to participate, and advocating for equal opportunities for all through VIOs (Volunteer-Involving Organizations)

6. UNV Business Model Global Advocacy to make the contribution of volunteerism recognised globally Integration of volunteerism into development programming Mobilization of Volunteers

7. global advocacy examples • Support research to assess the impact of volunteerism • Johns Hopkins University / UN Statistics Division / ILO • Now 26 countries are reporting the contribution of non-profit activities in their national accounts • Average 5% contribution to the economy from volunteerism, philanthropy • Stimulate national policy and legislation supportive of volunteerism • Since the International Year of Volunteers, over 70 countries have introduced new laws or policies on volunteerism • Communicating through publications, campaigns and media outreach “Teach India”

11. Integration in development programmingbased on partnerships • European Union • IADB • IFRC • IPU • New Academy of Business • OneWorld • Cisco • Kraft • Project Urgent • Shell Project Better World • Suez • Corporate & Private Sector • UN organisations • ESCAP • FAO • ICAO • IFAD • ILO • IMO • Millennium Campaign • OCHA • UNCDF • UNHCHR • UNHCR • UNCHS • UNCTAD • UNDOC • UNDP • UNDPKO • UNESCO • UNICEF • UNOPS • UNIDO • UNFPA • WFP • WHO • Cooperating agencies • AVI • CIVICUS • DED • FORUM • IAVE • VSO • etc. • Nothing we want to do in isolation!

12. Mobilization of volunteers 7,991 UNV assignments in 2008 Demand remains strong

13. Women 36% Men 64% Who are UNV volunteers? 37 years average age 5-10years average working experience 159 nationalities 100+professional categories: • Project managers and administrators • Policy advisors • Engineers & technicians • Doctors and health professionals

14. Where UNV volunteers work? • In 2007: • 7,753UNV volunteers • 79%from developing countries(south-south cooperation) • 34%volunteered within their own countries (sustainability)

15. What do UNV volunteers do? • Achieving the MDGs and reducing human poverty • HIV/AIDS awareness, training, monitoring, evaluation • Disaster Prevention, Management and Recovery • Support for elections and democratic governance • Peace building and conflict resolution • Civil affairs and human rights • Communications and training • Community development and mobilization • Environmental monitoring, eco-tourism, energy • …

16. Health: prevention is better than cure • Dr. Vincent Onah works in Zomba Central hospital, Malawi. • He and colleagues volunteer to teach parents preventative medicine. • Women then voluntarily spread their knowledge in their own villages.

17. Gender: raising the agenda • National UNV volunteer Aicha Dariti, one of six volunteers ensuring gender mainstreaming in Morocco’s development programmes.

18. Environment: reclaiming the desert • In Ethiopia, guided by the UNV volunteers' expertise, the local youth volunteers: • - construct trenches and micro-basins to conserve soil and water - plant tree seedlings and Jatropha, - run apiculture centres and nursery sites. 200 youth volunteers (43% female) at four pilot sites covering 438 hectares.

19. Kenya’s neighborhood volunteers • Fostering coexistence after ethnic violence in late 2007, volunteers:- mediate and talk to youth about peace and reconciliation- support District Commissioners to identify potential disturbances- ensure that humanitarian aid is evenly distributed “We have a connection with the people at the community level and intend to use our acquired skills to bring the entire settlement together.”Gregory Ngugi

20. UNV volunteers fighting HIV/AIDS • In many parts of the world, it was volunteers who first raised • HIV and AIDS as an issue critically needing to be addressed. • UNV volunteers are: • empowering and involving people living with HIV to respond to stigma and discrimination • - promoting voluntary counseling and testing • - providing home-based care • - conducting media awareness campaigns • - establishing micro-grant facilities for income-generating activities • influencing national development policies

21. UNV Assistant to the UNDP Resident Coordinator Dolores Nunez is serving as an assistant to the UNDP Res Rep in Ecuador and in the same time she builds capacities of Volunteer-Involving Organizations and train the members of the national association of volunteerism on project writing.

22. UNV volunteers are professionals working on a peer basis • UNV volunteers listen and discuss teach and train encourage and facilitate but do not replace as primary responsibility rests with the government andthe community. • UNV volunteers act as a catalyst in helping to mobilize the local population to generate positive changes in their own communities.

23. focus on developing local capacities • Reduce dependency • Empower • Foster ownership • Enhance sustainability • Notgive fish to people, • but teach them • how to catch the fish.

24. UNV‘s added-value Bridge between communities, authorities, civil society and UN Inclusion and participation of marginalised people Non-threatening appraoch Youth mobilisation UN face in the field Flexibility Creativity Passion National ownership Role model and represent values South-South collaboration Capacity building

25. Development organizations Online Volunteers

26. “…let us recognize the power of volunteerism to promote peace and development around the world. Let us also pay tribute to the many millions of citizens all over the world who, every day – in ways small and large – volunteer their time, ingenuity, solidarity and creativity to help build a better, more sustainable future.” UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon

27. thank you Adeline Aubry CBA Volunteerism & Community Adaptation Specialist United Nations Development Programme June 2009