Bonn, Germany: The year 2011 marks the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) 2001.  Opportunities exist for activities throughout 2011 that will showcase the diversity, breadth and depth of volunteering, country by country, as well as worldwide. IYV +10 offers the chance to raise the profile of volunteering and mobilize many more volunteers.  Read article

Bonn, Germany: Volunteers register 300,000 hours of climate work.

People around the world are volunteering hundreds of thousands of hours to tackle climate change and send a message to world leaders that everyone is part of the solution.

A new website, www.VolunteeringForOurPlanet.org has drawn thousands of visitors to register the time they have spent as environmental volunteers since World Environment Day, 5 June, and the time they will spend until International Volunteer Day, 5 December.

Since the website started, people have registered more than 300,000 hours of volunteer effort

  Read article

Bonn, Germany: UNV staff took ‘Volunteering for our Planet’ to the public last weekend, marking the anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The staff volunteers collected more than 500 signatures calling for action against global warming.  Read article

Bonn, Germany: Volunteer organizations, governments and international organizations from across the world are joining UN partners to plan for 2011, the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers.  Read article

London, UK: Fifty-five Greenpeace volunteers Sunday scaled the walls of the UK's Houses of Parliament and occupied the roof to call for a new style of politics in Britain, one capable of rising to meet the challenge of climate change.  Read article

Beijing, China: China plans to incorporate volunteer service into the evaluation of student performances to promote the spirit of selflessness, the Ministry of Education said.    Read article

United We Serve is harnessing the power of volunteerism to help transform some of the hardest-hit communities in the United States.  The U.S. Chamber's Business Civic Leadership Center – together with the business community – is answering the call to service.  Visit site

Americans say they have cut back on volunteer service to their communities and believe others have chosen to look out for themselves as a result of the recession.

Nearly two thirds (72 percent) of Americans surveyed said they cut back on time spent volunteering, participating in groups and doing other civic activities in the past year, reports a study by the National Conference on Citizenship. While the majority of people have become less engaged, 66 percent of respondents believe other people have chosen to turn inward to cope with the recession rather than reaching out to help others.

  Visit site

The United Nations is leading a powerful new campaign to encourage governments to seal the deal on a fair, balanced and effective climate agreement - and volunteers can make a difference.

The Seal the Deal! campaign is mobilizing civil society along with political leaders and the business sector on an ambitious, global scale to raise a strong call for urgent and united action on climate change.  Read article

Korea announced a plan to increase support of the Korea-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) relationship by expanding Korea's official development assistance to the association's 10 member countries. Moreover, Korea will invite 7,000 students and workers from ASEAN countries by 2015 for vocational training, while sending 10,000 Korean volunteers to share advanced technology in the information and telecommunications sectors.  Visit site