Suakoko, Liberia: Garmai Gbelawoe had to mark the ballot paper with her inked fingerprint when she voted in Liberia's landmark presidential election in November 2005. Today, she feels empowered after learning how to read and write at a volunteer-run women's centre that is helping to reintegrate returnees in the country's Bong County, north of the national capital, Monrovia.  Read article

Banda Aceh, Indonesia: In partnership with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, Acehnese musicians Mahrisal Rubi and Edy Erwinsyah released a song commemorating the second anniversary of the tsunami that hit several countries of South East Asia on 26 December 2004.  Read article

Geneva, Switzerland: On Sunday, 17 December a number of Iraqi Red Crescent Society staff and volunteers and other persons were abducted from one of the Society's offices in Baghdad. As of today, some have been released, but many are still being held.  Read article

Washington, D.C., USA: Today more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have employee volunteer programs to leverage the power of service and volunteering in the corporate sector. The Corporate Community Involvement Summit, a coalition of nonprofit organizations, has developed a set of standards that will help to track trends, benchmark programs and encourage better practices in employee volunteer programs.   Read article

Beijing, China: China is drafting a law to clearly define the rights and obligations of volunteers in a move to encourage more people to donate their time and skills, said an official with the Ministry of Civil Affairs on Tuesday, International Volunteer Day.  Read article

Bonn, Germany: Every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and its Online Volunteering (OV) service honour ten exceptional women and men who have made an exemplary impact on human development by sharing their expertise over the Internet and by demonstrating their commitment to volunteering. The winners of the “Online Volunteer of the Year” award for 2006 were announced today.   Read article

Bonn, Germany: Every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme and its Online Volunteering (OV) service honour ten exceptional women and men who have made an exemplary impact on human development by sharing their expertise over the Internet and by demonstrating their commitment to volunteering. The winners of the “Online Volunteer of the Year” award for 2006 were announced today.   Read article

Washington, USA: The number of Americans who volunteer to mentor students, beautify neighborhoods and pitch in after disasters is at a 30-year high, fueled in part by a boom in teen participation, a new study says.  Read article

Accra, Ghana: The Millennium Development Goals could “only be achieved in Ghana if people are prepared to sacrifice and contribute to the socio-economic development of the nation” Mike Ajdei, the Special Aide to the President, said at the official launch of International Volunteer Day and Coalition of Voluntary Organizations in Ghana.  Read article

Shanghai, China: China's first helpline specifically for lesbians will begin taking calls this weekend, organizers said Wednesday, in a sign of growing awareness of issues facing gay women in China's commercial center.  Read article