The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has entered a partnership with Kopernik on a global campaign using virtual reality to showcase how volunteering contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The agreement was signed by Yoshinori Ikeda, representing UNV, and Ms Hiromi Tengeji, Representative Director, Kopernik Japan. The VR for SDGs campaign will document SDG-related challenges addressed by UN Volunteers in the field, using RICOH THETA 360-degree cameras donated by Ricoh.
The campaign will call on UN Volunteers to submit videos about the work they carry out with UN entities around the world to achieve the SDGs. These will be evaluated by Kopernik and UNV, in collaboration with Ricoh, and the winners will receive 360-degree cameras and training on how to use them. After the training, UN Volunteers will use the cameras to develop further 360-degree video content about the SDG challenges they are tackling in the field.
The video content created by UN Volunteers will be showcased on Kopernik’s free open-source platform, Virtual Reality (VR) for the SDGs,* and on UNV’s website and social media. An online event will be held around International Volunteer Day (IVD), 5 December, to present the videos and UNV’s initiatives.
The 360-degree videos are expected to be utilized by UNV and Kopernik to promote volunteerism as a means to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs, and by engaging partners in the public and private sectors, as well as from civil society organizations and the academia.
The videos will contribute to highlighting how volunteers help leave no one behind by reaching out to people, including those marginalized or difficult to reach, to bring people’s voices and knowledge into collective actions. This is crucial to achieve the SDGs.
*VR for the SDGs platform：A free and open source platform that is administered by Kopernik and showcases challenges related to the SDGs in collaboration with public and private sector partners. The platform aims to promote further understanding of the real challenges related to the SDGs on the ground and support the development and deployment of appropriate solutions to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs.
Kopernik’s mission is to reduce poverty by experimenting with potential solutions that address common challenges facing people living in the last mile. Kopernik is proactive in the testing of ideas that can benefit the larger development community. For further information, please visit www.kopernik.info.
Ricoh is empowering digital workplaces using innovative technologies and services enabling individuals to work smarter. For more than 80 years, Ricoh has been driving innovation and is a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, communications services, commercial and industrial printing, digital cameras, and industrial systems. For further information, please visit www.ricoh.com.