"We don’t need a hero, we need all of us, standing together"

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I am Shriya Sundaram, UN Volunteer Partnerships Coordinator for the United Nations Capital Development Fund’s Pacific Insurance and Climate Adaptation Programme in Fiji. I believe that the greatest threat to our planet is the assumption that someone else will save it. 

Imagine a mother holding her newborn, dreaming of a safe, bright future. Now picture that same mother on a Pacific Island, watching as the rising sea swallows her home. Or in an Indian city, where pollution clouds her child’s future. 

Though worlds apart, these places share a common plea to future generations—to leave the world better than we found it. 

COP 16 and the spirit of volunteering in Colombia

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UNV has partnered with the Mayor’s Office in Cali, the host city of the event, to implement a strategy to mobilize volunteers for the event.  

More than 1,200 people joined the training sessions in September to learn about how to volunteer for COP 16 and key topics such as biodiversity and sustainable development. Approximately 850 people will be selected to volunteer at this major event." Sandra Lino, UN Expert Volunteer for COP 16 volunteer mobilization. 

Beyond bullets and ballots to peace

Nuwan Uddika Liyanage, UN Volunteer Human Rights Officer with UNMISS
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"Achieving peace and development requires strong community connections and local capacities," shares Nuwan Uddika Liyanage, UN Volunteer Human Rights Officer with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). To take this further, he initiated a project called, 'Beyond Bullets and Ballots: Standing Against Sexualized Election Violence' that addresses challenges faced by vulnerable communities during local elections. Let's hear from Nuwan Uddika. 

I am based with UNMISS in the Malakal Field Office and responsible for implementing the Beyond Bullets and Ballots project. I believe that when we give the relevant knowledge and tools to communities, we promote a self-reliant society. Building strong community ties is the most important building block here and of course, complementing that with policies that are community friendly.

The project is a step in the right direction. It brings together the local government officials, electoral officers, police, military personnel, and members of civil society.

Troubleshooting to peace in South Sudan

UNV interviews Fabio Arditi, UN Volunteer with UNMISS
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Fabio Arditi is a UN Volunteer Staff Counsellor with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). He is 68 years old and is an example of how intergenerational volunteering truly is. As we mark, International Day of Peace, Fabio shares his reflections on why building peace and well-being are so interconnected.

Tell us more about your role at UNMISS.
UNMISS is one of the world’s largest peacekeeping missions. The South Sudanese nation is a young one having been declared independent in July 2011. As a staff counsellor, I often work behind the scenes — supporting the well-being of frontline staff. Still, I often get the opportunity to interact directly with communities, training hundreds of people on healthy lifestyles and many other health-related matters, in particular those related to stress reduction and its benefit to overall health.     

Voices that matter for democracy in Côte d'Ivoire

United Nations Volunteers
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Jean-Martial Konan and Auguste Dimitri Goubo are UN Volunteers with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Côte d'Ivoire. They support the Ministry of Economy, Planning, and Development by working on the ground with local communities and raising awareness of democratic values and freedom of expression. On International Day of Peace, we look at how volunteering supports people in communities.

Jean-Martial Konan is a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist who assists development projects. In his role, he brings together local governments and communities in Regional Monitoring Committees in the north of the country. Jean-Martial calls on young people and women to come up with solutions and prevent crises. The development projects he supports reached over 750 people, of whom 66 percent are women. 

Online Volunteers widen health and climate awareness in Karbala

United Nations Volunteers
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Some 200 Online Volunteers supported an awareness campaign highlighting the impact of climate change on health, water, and food safety, managing chronic illnesses, and infection prevention during Arba’in pilgrimage in Karbala, one of the world's largest religious gatherings.

The campaign marked International Youth Day and was made possible through a partnership with the Iraqi Ministry of Health and the United Nations entities, including the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Population Fund, the United Nations Volunteers, the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization.

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