The Volunteer Talk – UNV Knowledge Sharing Webinar with the theme “Organising learning events for Volunteers: the Capacity Development and Learning Facility (CDLF)” was organized on 11 March 2015. The webinar featured experiences from the field presented by Ulla Gronlund, former UNV Programme Officer in Turkey and Katalin Kaplár, UNV Administration Officer in the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Photographs by: UNV DR Congo and Turkey Video edited by: UN Online Volunteer Amy Ozeri

Kigali, Rwanda: 19 815 is the number of peacekeepers deployed to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Sent by 52 troop-contributing countries, contingents are deployed for a period that varies from six to eight months before being replaced with a new contingent. The deployment and repatriation of contingents take place in Entebbe, Bujumbura or Kigali, where MONUSCO has MovCon liaison offices.

Richard Dictus, Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, participated in events with civil society in Brazil, where he highlighted the importance of volunteerism for a country’s development, and as a way to gain professional experience allowing youth to enter the labour market. [Full article in Portuguese]

The UN in Egypt website covers the strategy used by UNV's Arab Youth Volunteering for a Better Future regional project to increase youth’s social inclusion and active participation in the development of their countries through volunteerism.

30 youth center representatives from 17 governorates of Egypt participated in the first national Training of Trainers in Volunteer Management for youth centers, led by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme under the regional project “Arab Youth Volunteering for a Better Future”.

Discussions on the post-2015 agenda have recognized and emphasized the central importance of social inclusion in the new development framework. Using research-based evidence, this Issue Brief demonstrates that volunteerism, when well facilitated, can be a powerful mechanism for promoting social inclusion all over the world. Any framework that aims to reverse a “top-down” approach must recognize the contributions of volunteerism in aiding progress towards the MDGs and ensuring sustainable human development in a post-2015 world.  

A Dhaka Tribune feature by UN Volunteers Miriam Ebner and Merel Fuchs covers the UNV national youth consultations in Bangladesh on the post-2015 development agenda.

“How can we inspire young people to volunteer and create an ecosystem to support them?” This question and many more were discussed in New Delhi at a National Consultation on Youth Volunteerism organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS), the UNDP and UNV on 12 November 2013. The consultation focused on a Plan of Action for implementing the draft National Youth Policy (2013) and a National Youth Volunteer Programme for India, keeping in view the 12thFive-Year Plan and the recommendations of the post-2015 development agenda.

UNV Cambodia joined with multimedia youth channel Loy9 and the National Blood Transfusion Centre in Phnom Penh in organizing a national blood donation campaign in June.  With the motto "Give Blood, Give Love", the campaign aims to attract 999 donations in nine days in nine different locations.

A dedicated trust fund has been set up by the United Nations to boost youth volunteerism and harness the energy of young people around the world to contribute to achieving development goals while enhancing their own lives. Announced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, the new youth trust fund is an important milestone in developing the inspirational UN Youth Volunteers Programme.