"It takes a village to raise a child. Same goes for peacekeeping."  Silvia Kavrochorianou (Moldova), UN Volunteer Civil Affairs Officer with UNMISS

The UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), established in September 2014, now has over 305 UN Volunteers. On the occasion of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, we share a video message from Mr Emmanuel K. Agawu, Chief of Operations and Resource Management at MINUSCA.

Carlos started his first assignment as a UN Volunteer in 1992 with elections in Cambodia. He is one of 28 UN Volunteers who served under the UNDP-implemented Electoral Assistance Project of the United Nations in Bolivia, a project that sought to re-establish trust in the electoral body, as part of the UN’s peacebuilding efforts in the country.

For UN Volunteers, many of whom have served with UNAMID for years, this is an emotional period, particularly as they bid farewell to local communities in Darfur. Many UN Volunteers hope that their work and peace dividends gained in this peacekeeping operation over the last thirteen years can be sustained, at least for the sake of the vulnerable people who have endured suffering for far too long.

Since the establishment of the United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) in 2007, 696 UN Volunteers have served with the mission.  These have included specialists in human rights, civil affairs, protection and electoral support, alongside technical and administrative experts as well. This year, UNAMID is closing down and is being replaced with a new mission, the United Nations Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS)

"If I’m still healthy, my dream is to continue to serve as a volunteer till I’m 76, if possible. If not, I’ll have to hope to be reborn to have a new shot at it," the veteran volunteer says. Having "retired" for good in the Netherlands in 2016, his adopted home country since 2003, Rudolf was no longer fettered by the time limit for UN volunteering in the field that applies to others, non-pensioners. That same year, he jumped at an opportunity to make Rumbek his base for a new adventure, and he hasn’t looked back since.

To me, volunteerism is a very fascinating journey of exploring myself, diverse cultures, communities and the world at large. In January 2016, I felt I should pass on my skills further to a more global community. Having acquired a Bachelor’s degree in Procurement and Logistics Management with CIPS, I decided to register for Online Volunteer opportunities with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.

From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, the Mano River Basin sub-region of West Africa was torn by civil wars that started in Liberia, and soon spread to neighboring countries. With all of West Africa under the threat of destabilization, the UN Security Council deployed six peacekeeping operations across the region from 1993 to 2018, to help build peace and protect local populations.

The theme of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers this year is about leveraging the power of youth for peace and security. It relates well to the contributions UN Volunteers make to peace and development in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  The vision of the UN Volunteers (UNV) programme is of a peaceful and democratic society where the young play an active role in cultivating peace and development. We improve youth representation in political processes, and policies that directly impact their lives.

I didn’t know much about Mali. But after eight years spent between legal research and advocacy in different countries, I needed to be more in the field, closer to people, to understand how to implement the law.