Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, India: The idea of Teach India has struck an instant chord, with more than 10,000 people signing up to pledge at least two hours a week to teach a child in their neighbourhood, mostly for weekend sessions. This army of volunteers is a multi-lingual, multi-talented one drawn from diverse streams - doctors, lawyers, company executives, educationists, actors, businessmen, housewives, writers, artists, retired folk, government employees and, most hearteningly, college students.  Visit site

The charity Dubai Cares will focus on promoting volunteerism among UAE residents in October says Reem Al Hashimi, Minister of State. "This time we are asking people to donate their time, not their money," she said, adding that although monetary donations will be accepted, they will not be actively pursued.  Visit site

Singapore: Volunteers, schools and independent organizations keen on organizing overseas humanitarian trips will now have a central body to turn to for information. Launched on Saturday, the International Volunteerism Association (IVA) aims to connect locally based groups who organize such trips into a close-knit network that shares resources through talks and joint training programmes.   Visit site

Hanoi, Vietnam: To someone caring about traveling in Vietnam, the concept of “xuyen Viet”, or journey through Vietnam, which enjoys an unmatched presence in literally every travel ad, may not sound like such an original idea. Nevertheless, once combined with a commitment to better the community, the old idea actually can bring in a lot of excitement.  Read article

Cotabato, The Philippines: Bayanihan - the Filipino concept of community volunteerism - is transforming the social landscape of six Peace and Development Communities (PDCs) as community members lead construction of health stations in a bid to reduce preventable diseases in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).   Visit site

Glasgow, Scotland: The CIVICUS World Assembly, a forum for international civil society representatives to exchange ideas and build strategies for a just world, met from 18-21 June 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland. CIVICUS, headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, is an international alliance dedicated to strengthening civil society.  Read article

Glasgow, Scotland: Non-traditional media and its role in volunteer activism deserves attention.  During the CIVICUS World Assembly from 18-21 June 2008 in Glasgow, Scotland a number of discussions were held on the partnership between various forms of media and civil society.  The focus was not only on the mainstream media, but also on alternative or non-traditional forms of media.    Read article

Bloggers may find their messages blocked by Myanmar's military regime, but that hasn't stopped blogger Nyi Lynn Seck from raising tens of thousands of dollars for cyclone survivors through his Web site. Nyi Lynn Seck quit his job as a manager at a software solutions company to lead six volunteers, including four other bloggers, on a mission to aid villages around Labutta. They have been here since May 9.  Visit site

Melbourne, Australia: In 2007, an AusAID-funded team of key mental health experts formulated a set of ten key messages to assist communities in China manage children's mental health post disaster. Teachers and community leaders trained when the messages were piloted are currently volunteering in Sichuan and are regarded as 'on-the-ground' experts in psychological first aid for children.  Visit site

Accra, Ghana: The president of the newly chartered Legon Lions Club, Nii Allotey Brew-Hammond, has called for the institution of a National Volunteer Week to rekindle the spirit of voluntarism in Ghanaians. He further proposed that an award scheme, dubbed 'The President’s Volunteer Service Award,' be introduced to provide recognition to volunteers and promote voluntarism among corporate bodies and the youth especially.  Visit site