Volunteerism as building blocks for peacebuilding, how does that work? For starters, volunteerism generates forms of social capital that are indispensable to peacebuilding and plays an important role in strengthening the development of national civilian capacities to address peacebuilding issues.

Monrovia, Liberia:  Sharing my skills and experience as a UN Volunteer creates positive change in society. As a UNV Peace Consolidation Support Officer with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), I support local authorities to enhance reconciliation and social cohesion through confidence-building activities.   I spearheaded efforts to strengthen the capacity of civil society through training and mentoring in areas of governance and accountability.

Bentiu, South Sudan: When fighting broke out in South Sudan in 2013, many civilians were killed and thousands of people sought protection at the UN base in Bentiu, with a large influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to the Protection of Civilians (PoC) sites of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). This posed serious challenges to the management of the sites –scarcity of space and resources, an increase in inter-communal tensions, looting and attacks to humanitarian assets, and increased sexual and gender based violence (SGBV).

UN News Center features UN Volunteer Joseph Agbor Effim, from Cameroon, a UNV Judicial Affairs Officer with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).  The story explores his mission: to participate in efforts to find a lasting solution to the crisis in the country, and particularly to ensure that the rights of detainees are respected.

UN Volunteer Public Information Officer Anna Adhikhari (Poland), with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) led a forum in Bentiu, for volunteers or “social mobilizers” associated with the South Sudan Trust Rehabilitation and Development Organization, a local NGO running projects in the areas of health, education, environment, water and sanitation, food and agriculture.

Brian Concannon, a former UN Volunteer who worked on human rights in Haiti, is the founder and director of the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti (IJDH).

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme have created a legal support website in Tashkent which is run by pro-bono legal clinicians and is designed to help the city’s residents obtain the legal advice and support they require. While a number of legal clinics are currently operating in the city, staffed by law students with the support of UNDP and their academic institutions, they lack the resources and tools required to address the needs of their clients.

Christina Papadopoulou has been working with the UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) in Guatemala since 2008. She is a UN Volunteer who has chosen “to serve society and promote ideals such as social justice and equality.” Christina is one of the nearly 8,000 UN Volunteers mobilized every year by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.

Christina Papadopoulou has been working with the UN Human Rights office (OHCHR) in Guatemala since 2008. She is a UN Volunteer who has chosen “to serve society and promote ideals such as social justice and equality.” Christina is one of the nearly 8,000 UN Volunteers mobilized every year by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.