Around the world, young people are engaged in strengthening peace and supporting civic engagement in different fields through their volunteering activities — but one thing to especially note is that they are also contributing to global peacekeeping online.
Peace is a broad word — it covers general domains of providing access to justice and building effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions. It also refers to specific United Nations mandates that are being implemented under peacekeeping and peacebuilding missions.
While the role of the UN in maintaining and restoring peace is pivotal in laying the foundations for a peaceful world, it is also important to note the role of young people, who are active agents of change.
By actively participating in peace initiatives and decision-making in conflict and war-torn countries, young people have played an instrumental role in sustaining peace for all.
Young people are on the frontlines of the struggle to build a better future for all. -- Secretary-General António Guterres, International Youth Day Video Message
Youth engagement in peacebuilding is often done through volunteerism, which plays a vital role in peace and development by seeking ways to solve problems through interpersonal engagement and human relationships.
Around the world, young people are engaged in strengthening peace and supporting civic engagement in different fields through their volunteering activities — but one thing to especially note is that they are also contributing to global peacekeeping online.
Young people can channel their positive energy and ideas through Online Volunteering to advance peace and security across diverse contexts.
UNV’s Online Volunteering service
UNV's Online Volunteering service is a platform connecting organizations and volunteers to address sustainable development challenges. It is a valuable resource to support United Nations entities and other partners.
One of the most significant advantages of UNV’s Online Volunteering service is that it is fast, easy, and most importantly, effective, especially during crises and emergencies. Volunteers can work anywhere in the world, at any time, from any device.
How are Online Volunteers promoting peace around the world?
Since 2017, UN agencies, government and public institutions as well as civil society organizations, including youth organizations, have requested 31,366 Online Volunteers through 9,955 Online Volunteering assignments to team up and contribute to peace and development. Over half of this remarkable force consists of young people between 18-29 years old, and over 300 youth organizations are registered with the service.
Valentina Fernandez, Edward Yo, Mamadou Ndao and Ashlyn Saveej, Online Volunteers fighting COVID-19 from their homes worldwide. UNV, 2020
From conducting research, data collection and analysis to web, graphic design or outreach, there is no limit to the scope of tasks that volunteers can carry out online.
Mobile applications: codes leading peace initiatives
Following recent trends, Online Volunteers have more opportunities to be involved in peace-related initiatives with their coding skills. By coding a simple educational mobile application, for instance, led by the Red Elephant Foundation in India, young people are taking an essential role in designing innovative and user-friendly ways to reach a wider audience and help build a sustainable and non-violent future.
Videos: short video clips changing the world
"Youth-led Peace and Reconciliation in Colombia: A Transformational Approach" is a project designed by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to promote peace and reconciliation youth initiatives in Colombia through short videos. It aims to contribute to Colombia's ongoing peacebuilding and reconciliation process by strengthening resilience and conflict prevention capacities of at-risk youth, families, marginalized communities and the broader society.
Social Media: messages raising awareness on accessibility
Although many training and educational resources are openly available, aspiring professionals in peace and humanitarian fields are not necessarily able to get information on accessible materials. Online Volunteers are instrumental in promoting key information and messages through social media, blogs, visual and informational materials. Reaching out with targeted advocacy in different geographic regions helps sustain lasting peace.
Creativity: ideas shaping the development and peace nexus
The UN Development Coordination office (UNDCO) expands its work on the Humanitarian Development and Peace (HDP) nexus. Following the production of professional documents and information packages, Online Volunteers support drafting background documents by developing one-pagers and newsletters.
Language: words engaging partners
Translation work is important in engaging partners in humanitarian action as not all partners work in the same language. By translating key documents into different languages, Online Volunteers ensure transparency and accountability and help all partners work together efficiently without the duplication of activities.
Online Volunteering in the era of pandemics
In 2020, UNV unlocked significant capacity for partners and resulted in unprecedented online volunteer engagement — together with
UN entities, a total of 2,049 online assignments were conducted and 319 of them were focused on COVID-19 related tasks. UNV reached not only highly motivated professionals but also the young professionals and even those who are still students.
Indeed, working online is safer, more convenient and cost-effective, as we are still not free from COVID-19. On the other hand, volunteering itself can benefit those suffering from the new normal of not leaving home, as it enables them to connect with people while helping them find a sense of purpose in their daily lives. Hence Online Volunteering is a great solution in the era of pandemics.
Finally, Online Volunteering could be extended as an effective way to connect traditional volunteer work and new types of volunteering tasks in the post-pandemic world. Youth volunteerism through Online Volunteering opportunities is a great new age way to sustain peace and sustainable development.
Online volunteering allows organizations and volunteers to team up to address sustainable development challenges – anywhere in the world, from any device. When skilled, passionate individuals join forces online with great organizations working toward sustainable development goals, everyone wins.
Register your organization to engage online volunteers or sign up to find online volunteering opportunities: https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en