Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore Foundation in association with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in India and Anant Vikas Trust is bringing out a special issue of "The Peace Gong--the children’s newspaper" based on the four objectives of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10): recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteerism.   Read article

Official International Volunteer Day (IVD) statements are forthcoming. Please keep checking the IVD download section for more information and other resources to support events in your country.

You can also help the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme to showcase the power of volunteer action in every country. To find out more, please visit volunteeringmatters.unv.org, and help light-up our world by watching a weekly video and responding to a weekly question with your best photo and caption.   Read article

Internationally acclaimed singer and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Angélique Kidjo, joined forces with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme this week, ahead of a 5 December UN General Assembly Session on volunteerism. UNV’s message to Member States is clear - millions of volunteers are changing lives for the better every day and with better recognition and support much more can be done.    Read article

Egypt: When thinking of a volunteer, what comes to the mind of most people is a youth working in the field in an emergency zone. The link between the words ‘volunteer’ and ‘desk job’ is, to say the least, not very common.  Read article

Bonn, Germany: The Co-Chairs of the Group of Experts of the Planning Committee of the 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference have issued a Zero Draft version of the NGO Declaration that will be submitted for adoption by consensus by NGO delegates at the close of the 64th Annual UN DPI/NGO Conference in Bonn. The Zero Draft version is now available here, as well as on the Conference website for NGO review and comment.  Read article

Pretoria, South Africa: It's about volunteering! Monday 18 July is Mandela Day, and it's one of the landmarks during this special year for volunteers.

The Mandela Day campaign message is simple: Nelson Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. The campaign is asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting their chosen charity or serving their local community.

Mandela Day is a call to action for individuals – for people everywhere – to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time, just as Mr. Mandela did.  Read article

Budapest, Hungary: The Global Volunteer Conference will bring together high level leadership and decision makers from humanitarian and development organizations, governments, civil society, academia, the UN system and the corporate sector.  Read article

Nairobi, Kenya:

IAVE is organizing a regional meeting in Nairobi, Kenya.

The theme for the small gathering is 'Getting the Word Out – Volunteering in Africa'.

The conference will be an invitation-only event for 25-35 individuals, representing diverse groups and organizations, including national NGOs, volunteer centres, international NGOs as well as representatives from global companies.

The meeting will include presentations on volunteering programmes in Africa, country and regional reports, and a discussion on how to improve research, communication, and advocacy.

  Read article

Manila, the Philippines:

Their reasons for leaving tend to surprise Philippine immigration officers.

In a country where practically every other household has a relative trying to earn bigger bucks abroad, they chose to go overseas not to seek greener pastures—but instead sow seeds of hope and opportunity where nothing much ever grows. But then, compassion thrives on stony ground.

Denis Vanguardia, for example, helped a poor community in Indonesia start livelihood programs. Liza Lopez worked with refugees at the border between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar), while Lea Acallar attended to HIV/AIDS patients in Nepal.

They are the overseas Filipino volunteers—“OFVs,” if you will—a largely unheralded but growing tribe of mission workers and global adventurers who devote a part of their lives helping other nations, and in the process develop a deeper appreciation of their own.

  Visit site

Bonn, Germany: With the final International Year of Volunteers +10 (IYV+10) regional conference ending in Dakar, Senegal, on 7 June, the series of five consultation meetings came to a very successful conclusion.

Click to read on and download the newsletter.  Read article