Today, on World Environment Day 2011, we reflect on the achievements and contributions of volunteers to the environment and to development at large. This year’s theme, ‘Forests:  Nature at Your Service’, comes quite timely as the international community gears up towards the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20).

Volunteers have played a critical role since the start of the environmental movement.  They have recognized that individual and collective action is necessary to raise awareness about and engage others in environmental action.  Everyone shares this responsibility and has a role to play, from turning off the lights in America to planting trees in Ethiopia. “Volunteering is centred on values, which makes it very powerful.  It is about the genuine desire to make a difference, to get engaged and to respond,” says UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri.  “On the ground, that

Volunteers have played a critical role since the start of the environmental movement.  They have recognized that individual and collective action is necessary to raise awareness about and engage others in environmental action.  Everyone shares this responsibility and has a role to play, from turning off the lights in America to planting trees in Ethiopia. “Volunteering is centred on values, which makes it very powerful.  It is about the genuine desire to make a difference, to get engaged and to respond,” says UNV Executive Coordinator Flavia Pansieri.  “On the ground, that

On 5 February 2011 His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of the Republic of Namibia, paid a two-hour visit to the Siya Community Based Adaptation(CBA) Self Help Group in the Kavango Region.The CBA programme is working towards increasing the resilience of the communities to the effects of climate change. This CBA is supported by UNV as well as by UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) Strategic Priority on Adaptation (SPA) like other programmes in nine other pilot countries around the world.

On 5 February 2011 His Excellency Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of the Republic of Namibia, paid a two-hour visit to the Siya Community Based Adaptation(CBA) Self Help Group in the Kavango Region.The CBA programme is working towards increasing the resilience of the communities to the effects of climate change. This CBA is supported by UNV as well as by UNDP and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) Strategic Priority on Adaptation (SPA) like other programmes in nine other pilot countries around the world.

The reason why I decided to leave my well paid job and start working as a volunteer was that I finally wanted to make myself useful. I was lucky enough to get a job as a UNV Communications Officer with the UNDP Socotra Governance and Biodiversity Project.