UNV and UN Women sign Memorandum of Understanding to propel global partnership to new heights
This Memorandum of Understanding marks a significant milestone for the partnership between the two organizations, as it sets the legal and operational framework for future collaboration. UNV will continue to support UN Women in achieving its strategic priorities through the deployment of volunteer talent and by utilizing volunteerism. This will enable UN Women to build local capacities, engage with grassroots communities and civil society, and involve women and youth in its development interventions.
Kindness amidst a pandemic: inspiration from Kenya's urban informal settlements
Seven volunteers from Kazakhstan join the UN under the fully funded programme
Acting together to end poverty in China
No longer silent: empowering women and girls for prosperity
As a Communications Associate for UN Women in Uganda, I document the impact and success stories and lessons learned from activities supported by UN Women. This involves conducting interviews and collating success stories from different stakeholders, beneficiaries, and partners on ending violence against women and girls. UN Women in Uganda actively engages lawmakers, police, civil society in bringing about transformative impact for the lives of women and girls.
Through my work, I tell the stories of these transformative changes in the lives of women and girls.
What does it actually mean to "move towards more people-centred solutions"?
Tragedies have the particular distinction of steering us back to basic and fundamental truths. As COVID-19 has humbled the world, transformed every aspect of our lives, and exacerbated existing challenges, it has also shown us indomitable resilience and moving displays of civic virtue. Demonstrations of solidarity have confirmed that consideration towards one another invariably work, affirming that goodwill is ultimately far more contagious than the novel virus[1].
In reflecting on people-centred solutions, whether to confront the cumulative impacts of the pandemic, or its indispensability in the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we realize how elusive, yet fundamental stakeholder participation is. How does one establish lasting mechanisms to encourage and consolidate civic engagement? How does one engender a culture of common purpose towards a unifying goal, whether to fulfill national priorities or global aspirations? In this context, volunteerism, in all its different forms is one of the most effective means to deliver people-centred solutions and abide by our development agenda’s tenet: "of the people, by the people and for the people".
So, what does “move towards more people-centered solutions” mean in practice? The answer is surprisingly straightforward. It resides in the opportunities created for citizens to meaningfully engage in the issues affecting them. The more engagement is secured, the more impactful will development initiatives be. From this perspective, volunteering is perhaps the greatest and most underutilized asset in development assistance today.