In honour of Sergio Vieira de Mellos legacy, the Government of Brazil, in partnership with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, has launched a new scholarship to support the participation of Brazilian youth in humanitarian work. The scholarship provides recent university graduates in Brazil with the opportunity to volunteer with UNV under its new UN Youth Volunteers Programme.
The Government of Brazil, in partnership with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, has launched a new scholarship to support the participation of Brazilian youth in the UN Youth Volunteers Programme.
Announced at a World Humanitarian Day event in 2013 to mark the 10-year-anniversary of the Canal Hotel Bombing in Baghdad, during which 22 people – including United Nations’ Special Representative to Iraq Sergio Vieira de Mello – lost their lives, the scholarship is intended to support the inclusion of Brazilian youth in humanitarian work worldwide.
The scholarship will provide recent university graduates in Brazil with the opportunity to volunteer for up to one year with UNV under its new UN Youth Volunteers Programme. "With this scholarship in honour of Sergio Vieira de Mello’s legacy, we also want to promote young academics’ consciousness that, according to our constitutional provisions, if a person is hungry anywhere in the world, it is the responsibility of the State and Brazilian people to act upon", said Milton Rondo Filho, General Coordinator of International Actions Against Hunger, Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The UN Youth Volunteers Programme is a new initiative which seeks to facilitate the engagement of youth in global peace and sustainable human development through volunteerism, bringing the voice of youth into the development discourse and helping young people to realize their full social, economic and human potential. It includes a new UN Youth Volunteers modality that enables young people – aged 18-29 – to volunteer with a United Nations entity, gaining valuable first-hand experience in global peace and sustainable human development, while at the same time contributing to the work of the United Nations.
“UNV is delighted and humbled to partner with the Government of Brazil on this initiative. This scholarship truly captures the resolve and dedication of individuals like Mr. De Mello to humanitarian work, and it will serve as a shining example of the unshakeable spirit of the United Nations and its Member States to continue working towards global peace and sustainable human development even in the most challenging circumstances,” said Richard Dictus, UNV Executive Coordinator.
The first call for applications was launched this month, and it includes opportunities working on rural infrastructure management in Haiti and food security policies in Pakistan. For more information, please visit: www.pnud.org.br/Noticia.aspx?id=3791 (in Portuguese) – the deadline for applications is 12 February 2014.