News 04 Dec 2018

International Volunteer Day 2018

Volunteers build resilient communities This International Volunteer Day 2018, we celebrate the work of volunteers everywhere, with a focus on local volunteers working at the community level. Through its State of the World's Volunteerism Report (SWVR) 2018, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme provides concrete evidence, and recognizes the many ways in which people are dedicating their time to make communities more resilient against natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks. Although most voluntary action happ

Invitation flyer to join the launch of the SWVR

News 11 Jul 2018

Launch of the 2018 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report

Join a global conversation on volunteerism and community resilience Around the world, extreme weather events linked to climate change – including the catastrophic flooding in South Asia, Hurricane Maria in the Caribbean, and mudslides in Sierra Leone – have pushed volunteers to the forefront of disaster response efforts. Ordinary people contribute time and efforts to help communities cope and respond to emerging shocks and stresses. And volunteerism is the thread that binds people, enabling them to work together for the good of their communities. This was a

© Destiny Shapers: Paper giraffes made by children

Story 14 May 2018

Breaking the cycle of dependency in Korogocho

UN Online Volunteers mobilize support for a community-run training programme in Nairobi When Esther Munene and Lilian Kamigwi founded Destiny Shapers, a community-based-organization working to provide literacy training to young children in the Korogocho slum in eastern Nairobi, Kenya, they had to work hard to convince the families of the 23 children to allow them to attend the daily classes. Five years later, the organization has 150 children aged 3 to 9 enrolled and 60 of their parents or guardians participating in its programme – and a website, brand identity, social media pres

Tips for organizations 30 Apr 2018

Try these 5 tips to make the most of your collaboration with online volunteers

By Linda Kotschack Whether it is your first time working with online volunteers or you have managed many already, it is easy to agree on one thing: there are things that work and things that don’t, there are small actions that can maximize the results of a project and that can be applied to all online volunteering work processes. Here are 5 top tips on how to make your collaboration with online volunteers as successful as possible. Always assess the applicants Carrying out an assessment may seem as a tedious and t

Award 20 Mar 2018

UNV Online Volunteering Award 2017

UNV honours outstanding Online Volunteers and launches public voting Bonn, Germany, 20 March 2018: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme today announced the five winners of its “UNV Online Volunteering Award 2017” and invites everyone to vote for their favourite award winners. The award recognizes the important contributions UN Online Volunteers are making to the work of the UN, NGOs and governments, and demonstrates how active citizens engage in addressing global challenges via www.onlinevolunteering.org: getting vital information to communities in the C

© Lulu Ileho Poulty Group: A woman from Lulu Ileho Poultry Group is selling a chicken to another woman at the market

Award 20 Mar 2018

Lulu Ileho Poultry Group Team

Zuzana Filipova Ileho Division is a rural area in western Kenya, on the eastern edge of the Kakamega Forest. The women in Ileho are traditionally dependent on their husbands’ incomes, most of which derive from agriculture. Taking the popular “merry-go-round” practice – where women meet at regular intervals to take turns in supporting each other – one step further, a group of women decided to take up income-generating activities to improve their livelihood and support their community. In October 2015, they reg

Award winner

Public's Favourite

© Simuka Africa Youth Association: Campaign ad for the Skip A Meal Campaign showing smiling children

Award winner

Public's Favourite

Award 20 Mar 2018

Simuka Africa Youth Association Team

Bianca Dayrit We are delighted to announce the winner of our social media campaign: Bianca Dayrit received the highest number of votes from the public for her substantial contributions to advocating against child marriage together with the Simuka Africa Youth Association in Zimbabwe. Founded in 2006, the Simuka Africa Youth Association works to promote the realization of young people’s rights and alleviate poverty in the communities of Norton, a town located 40 km west of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare. One o

© International Blind Sports Association: Men playing blind football.

Award 20 Mar 2018

The International Paralympic Committee Team

Keon Richardson The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) organizes the Paralympic Games for athletes with a range of disabilities. It also acts as the International Federation for ten sports, enabling Para athletes to achieve sporting excellence and inspire the world. For the IPC, UN Online Volunteer Keon Richardson has passionately advocated for blind football on social media – with top engagement figures. As a trained athlete and football coach, Keon came with prior experience in disability football –

© The Red Elephant Foundation: Image for the GBV help map with the slogan "Find help wherever you are" displayed across a world map

Award 20 Mar 2018

The Red Elephant Foundation Team

Alka Mann, Luqman Mani, Prathyusha Munjuluri Gender-based violence is prevalent in every region of the world and knows no social, economic or national boundaries. To improve access to help and support services globally, the India-based NGO The Red Elephant Foundation has launched Saahas / The GBV Help Map, for survivors as well as bystanders of gender-based violence. The app, which features information and directories of verified services across 196 countries, was coded by the NGO’s founder Kirthi Jayakumar. It uses data researched and u

© UNICEF: Man in a UNICEF T-Shirt working on a laptop, with a weather map projected on a screen in the background

Award 20 Mar 2018

UNICEF Global Innovation Centre Team

Anamaria Cabrera Rodriguez, Claudia Lisette Ramirez Monterrosa, Emmanuelle Grandaud, Loïc Druenne, Lorena Belenky, Nouriatou Ntieche, Paula Alejandra Ballesteros Campos In September last year, three powerful hurricanes hit the Caribbean, causing numerous casualties and widespread devastation across the region. To prepare the affected populations, UNICEF launched its boldest social media messaging Disaster Risk Reduction exercise to date, and partnered with Facebook, Viber and teams of UN Online Volunteers to get life-saving messages out to the communities living in Hurricane Irma’s path. Using its U-Report messaging platform – originally developed to send pol

Award 04 Dec 2017

UNV Online Volunteering Award 2017

Celebrate volunteerism, nominate your online volunteers! On International Volunteer Day (IVD), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is calling for nominations for the UNV Online Volunteering Award 2017, which will be presented to five online volunteers or teams of online volunteers for their contributions to peace and development projects. A jury made up of UNV representatives and external experts in volunteerism and development cooperation will review the nominations and select the 5 winners. The winners will be announced on the Internationa

Cover page of Equator Initiative case study translated into Mooré © UNDP / Zoramb Naagtaaba Association, Burkina Faso

Story 28 Sep 2017

Enabling community participation for development

How UN Online Volunteer translators contribute to the localization of the SDGs The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), from the early stages of their formulation through their first years of implementation, emphasize the role of all actors to participate in and advance sustainable human development. As innovative approaches to tackling development challenges often come from the affected communities themselves, organizations reach out to local communities to gather learning and best practices. Translation plays an important role in including communities in knowledge exc

Design of a poster showing two children and the slogan in French "Recuitment of children is a crime".

Story 07 Aug 2017

How online volunteers bring added value for strengthening peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo

UN Online Volunteers are a fast, professional and highly efficient resource for MONUSCO’s activities In its aim to protect civilians, humanitarian workers and human rights defenders under imminent threat of physical violence, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) engages military and civilian personnel, police, and UN Volunteers in its daily operations. Activities range from protecting children’s rights to justice support, often in challenging and even dangerous environments. Since April 2016, UN Online Volunteers are supporting MONUSCO from right where

Photo of women on a boat at a fish market on Lake Nokoué

Story 17 Jul 2017

Linking local communities with donors, trainers and partners

UN Online Volunteers help mobilize USD 40,000 and create new networks for sustainable fishery project in Benin Lake Nokoué is located on the southern coast of Benin in West Africa. Bordering on Cotonou, Benin’s largest city in the south, and its capital Porto Novo in the east, lake Nokoué is threatened by pollution and deforestation along its shorelines. It is also affected by congestion from sediments and the traditional acadja fish farming practice, which uses wood, leaves and branches to build enclosures for the fish. At the northern part, where the Sô river feeds into the lake, lies the town of Sô

Story 08 Mar 2017

Distilling knowledge for gender equality in entrepreneurship

UN Online Volunteer Alisa Niakhai collaborated with the UN Office of Information and Communications Technology to help integrate knowledge on women entrepreneurs through ICT in UN Secretariat initiatives Shortly after Alisa Niakhai completed her Master’s degree in Public Administration, she discovered online volunteering through UNV. Coming from a family of modest means, the unpaid internships in New York or Geneva were no option for her to contribute to the work of the UN. But through online volunteering, other opportunities to do just that presented themselves to her, and Alisa has completed a number of online volunteering assignments for various UN agencies since. When she saw that the Inno

Tips for organizations 12 Jan 2017

How to value volunteers

Beyond giving organizations access to a diversity of skills, expertise and extra hands, volunteers bring additional commitment, enthusiasm and dedication to what they do. Volunteers are diverse in what they expect to receive in return for their contributions. While some appreciate formal recognition such as receiving a certificate or being featured in a newsletter, this kind of recognition is not important to all. There are three principles that organizations need to place at the basis of all volunteer engagement in order to nurture and sustain the commitment of all volunteers: a. Open communication: informing all candidates about the outcome of their application

News 05 Dec 2016

International Volunteer Day 2016

“The example volunteers set for us all cannot be underestimated. Today, join me in giving volunteers everywhere a round of #GlobalApplause.” International Volunteer Day (IVD), on December 5th, was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism. It is an opportunity for volunteers, and volunteer organizations, to raise awareness of, and gain recognition for, the contribution they make to their communities. “More than one billion people globally volunteer, internationally and in their own communities, driven by a deep commitment to making the world a bett

Story 03 Dec 2016

Creating an inclusive global environment for achieving the SDGs

In 2016, 156 persons with disabilities have volunteered their skills and time online through the UNV Online Volunteering service. The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated annually on 3 December. This year, it coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. And as 2016 is also the first year of the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the day highlights the role of these goals in building a more inclusive and equitable world for persons with disabilities. On December 3rd, International Day of Persons with Disabili

Tips for organizations 22 Nov 2016

Why it’s important to give feedback

Some organizations said that they have never used the feedback form on our website. Here are some important reasons why you should: Let your volunteer know what you think about your online collaboration Completing the short feedback form is an excellent way of telling your volunteers what you liked about your collaboration. It also gives you the chance to share your thoughts on what you think they could improve. The feedback you share with your volunteers counts towards an average displayed in the volunteers’ accounts. Volunteers can immediately see how organizations rate the c

Tips for volunteers 22 Nov 2016

Why it’s important to give feedback

Many volunteers tell us that they have never used the feedback form on our website Here are some important reasons why you should: Let the organization you supported know what you think about your online collaboration Completing the short feedback form is an excellent way of telling an organization what you liked about your collaboration. It also gives you the chance to share your thoughts on what you think they could improve. The feedback you share with the organizations counts towards an average displayed in the organizations’ accounts. Organizations can immediately see whic

Story 28 Oct 2016

Fostering food security

Providing advisory services to the government of the State of São Paulo The Chamber of Agriculture of the São Paulo State government in Brazil has tasked two online volunteers with supporting a participatory agro-ecological project in urban and peri-urban areas of the municipality Álvaro de Carvalho. The project, which receives funds from the federal government, aims to engage around 300 beneficiary families in vegetable farming in public spaces to enhance rural development and food security. The beneficiaries will be provided with access to land, know-how of innova

Tips for organizations 20 Oct 2016

How to say ‘Thank you’ to your volunteers

There are many ways in which you can thank your online volunteers for giving their time, expertise and commitment to supporting your organization’s work. Tell volunteers about the difference they make After volunteers complete an assignment, let them know about the results of their contributions. Keeping them informed of their projects’ impact is the volunteers’ greatest source of motivation and fulfilment. Issue an online volunteering certificate Our website offers an easy tool to help your organization issue a certificate of appreciation to your online volunteers. The certificate features the opportunity title, the volunteer’s name and your org

Story 06 Oct 2016

Online volunteers lend their voice to the UNDP 2013 China National Development Report

National UN Volunteer Qiushi Yue facilitated UNDP’s collaboration with Henry Tenenbaum and Coirle Magee Two UN Online Volunteers collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China to record the audio version of the China National Human Development Report 2013,Sustainable and Liveable Cities: Toward Ecological Civilization. The report explores the current urban transformation in China from the perspective of human development, and discusses the recent history of China’s cities, key challenges and projections for the future, including measures that could guide urbanisation to

Tips for organizations 22 Sep 2016

Involving online volunteers in grant proposal writing

After having developed a project, most organizations face the need to secure funding. Online volunteers can help you with identifying potential donors and grant opportunities as well as writing convincing funding proposals that are targeted to the individual donor’s requirements. You will need to provide the volunteer with detailed information about the project. Successful proposal writing requires excellent writing skills, but also research and analysis skills, as online volunteers will have to express complex ideas in simple language. Experience with proposal writing, or even w

Tips for organizations 22 Aug 2016

Involving online volunteers in project development

Online volunteers can help your organization define the project goals and objectives, develop the project activities and set up the budget. The ideal online volunteer for this task would have experience in project development as well as expertise in the area that your project will address (women’s income generation, for example, or community adaptation to climate change). Knowledge of the country would be an asset. Yet people with experience of developing similar projects in other countries can also make valuable contributions. Setting up an international team of online volunteers who share their diverse experience and exchange thei

Tips for volunteers 22 Aug 2016

How online volunteers can support organizations’ fundraising activities

A common challenge development organizations face is the raising of funds for their projects and activities. Online volunteers can support organizations’ fundraising activities in many ways. They can develop a fundraising strategy, design a social media fundraising campaign, share innovative fundraising ideas, research potential donor organizations and funding opportunities, obtain information on submission guidelines, draft letters and correspondence, write project proposals, or provide advice on how to approach and deal with different donors. When applying to support an organization’s fundraising act

Story 14 Aug 2016

Volunteering online for innovation in ICT

UN Online Volunteers research new trends and global best practices in ICT innovation The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies (ICT). ITU promotes the collaboration of the public and private sectors to develop global ICT networks and services. From March until September 2015, ITU engaged a team of seven UN Online Volunteers to research new trends and global best practices in ICT innovation. The results of this research were used in preparation of the ITU Telecom World 2015 event in Buda

Tips for organizations 22 Jul 2016

How do I select the best candidate?

How to find your ideal online volunteer UNV does not pre-screen applications. You will therefore receive applications from qualified candidates as well as from people who may not meet all the requirements. It is up to you to select the volunteers with the most suitable profile. Asking candidates to include a CV in their applications is always helpful, and for many assignments it will be useful to short-list candidates and test their skills or probe further before making your final selection.

Tips for volunteers 21 Jul 2016

How do I increase my chances to being selected?

The number of candidates interested to volunteer their skills online is much higher than the number of available opportunities. This is what you can do to make your application competitive: make sure to have a clear understanding of the task and tailor your application to prove that you have the required skills. If your qualifications or experience do not match the organization’s needs, your chance of being selected for the assignment will be reduced. This does not mean that the organization does not appreciate your enthusiasm and offer of support – it only means that it received applications from volunteers who met all

News 08 Jul 2016

Our new website is live!

New Online Volunteering website and services launched We are delighted to announce that the new Online Volunteering service was launched successfully. Our goal with the new website is to provide our volunteers and organizations – our online volunteering community – with an even faster, more inclusive and more appealing way to connect with each other and to join forces for peace and development worldwide. The official global launch ceremony will be held on 15 July from Brasilia, Brazil, with the cooperation of the UN in Brazil and Samsung. Togethe

News 01 Jul 2016

Funding from Germany

We are very grateful for the support received that allows us to promote and innovate volunteerism and strengthen online volunteering as a force for global development. One of UNV’s long-standing and key partners, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, has given a significant contribution to UNV's Online Volunteering service for the years 2015 to 2017 to expand the global reach of the UNV Online Volunteering service and explore innovative methods to ensure the broadest possible participation by all members of society, including the private sector. After the contributions of the Federal Public Service (FPS) Foreign Affairs, Foreig

News 28 Jun 2016

Co-creating volunteering solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals

UNV brought together 13 partners from the private sector, governments and other UN agencies such as UNDP, UNHCR, UNFPA and UNFCCC in an Innovation Space workshop that was held at UNV’s headquarters in Bonn, Germany, on 2-3 February 2016. Among the private companies and foundations that participated in the workshop were SAP, Credit Suisse, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Post DHL, IBM, Medtronic Foundation, Microsoft, Philips Foundation, Samsung, UPS, Vodafone Foundation, Volvo Group and Zurich Insurance Group. The workshop explored innovative and cost-effective volunteer-based solutions that can help achieve the SDGs. As an example of collaboration, UNV presented its new Online Volunteering prototype, to be launched together with a rede

Tips for volunteers 17 Jun 2016

How to receive updates on opportunities matching your interests

Subscribe to the opportunity alerts New online volunteering opportunities are published every day and there is an easy way for you to be informed of opportunities that match your interests: the opportunity alert. Inspired by your feedback, we have enhanced the already existing tool to better meet your needs. In order to create an alert and be notified by email when a matching opportunity is published, you need to be registered on the Online Volunteering service website. In the Manage Alerts section of your volunteer account, you c

Story 14 Jun 2016

UN Online Volunteer William Kin

William Kin first tried out online volunteering while interning with the United Nations Information Centre in South Africa William Kin first tried out online volunteering while interning with the United Nations Information Centre in South Africa in 2013, where he came across the UNV programme. Since then, he has completed 11 online volunteering assignments for grassroots community-based organizations, international NGOs and UN agencies. William has volunteered around 400 hours of his time for peace and development – and keeps on going. Born in China, William emigrated with his family to South Africa at the age of tw

Tips for organizations 22 May 2016

Planning an online volunteering assignment

A well-planned assignment is the starting point for a successful online collaboration. Before posting an opportunity for online volunteers to engage in your organization’s work, make sure to: Clearly define the task: Analyze your organization’s needs and break them down into well-defined tasks. An assignment focusing on one distinct task will increase your chances of finding qualified online volunteers for the assignment. Decide how many online volunteers to involve: Think about whether the task you have in mind is best performed by one volunteer or by a several online volunteers.

Tips for volunteers 20 May 2016

How do I participate as an online volunteer?

Search for opportunities and apply Your first step is to search for an online volunteering opportunity that sparks your interest and complete the electronic application form that you can access through each opportunity description. The applications are sent through the website directly to the organizations that posted the opportunities. The organizations will review the applications and contact the candidates to inform them of the outcome. UNV is not involved in online volunteer selection process.

Story 06 May 2016

UN Online Volunteer Kirthi Jayakumar

“I believe that we are a product of our own histories,” she says Kirthi Jayakumar from India is a trained lawyer and a passionate social activist. She founded an initiative for girls’ and women’s rights in India as well as an online journal of international law. Since October 2010, Kirthi has been volunteering her skills, time and energy online and until now has supported 16 civil society organizations and UN agencies by writing, blogging, researching, translating, designing and editing documents and publications for the social causes that matter most to her:

News 19 Apr 2016

Partnership with Samsung

UNV and Samsung are partnering to harness the power of online volunteering Global leader in technology, Samsung, has just announced an unprecedented partnership with the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme. Pedro Kim, President and CEO of Samsung Latin America, and Amanda Mukwashi, Chief of the Volunteer Knowledge and Innovation Section of UNV announced the partnership on Monday 18 April 2016 in the Samsung regional office in São Paulo. The UNV-Samsung cooperation will start as a pilot in Brazil, which hosts the headquarters of Samsung’s operations in Latin Amer

Story 20 Mar 2016

Online volunteers working on quality data

13 online volunteers are working on strengthening the United Nations Evaluation Group’s (UNEG) database of evaluation reports The collection and analysis of data plays an increasingly important role to policy-making organizations working to address peace and development-related challenges. Find out what online volunteers are doing to help these organizations work on quality data: Prepare and classify evaluation reports 13 online volunteers are working on strengthening the United Nations Evaluation Group’s (UNEG) database of evaluation reports to improve the quality and use of evaluation across the UN System. The volunt

Story 08 Mar 2016

Volunteering online for women’s equality

Over 1,000 UN Online Volunteers join forces In 2013, 1,203 UN Online Volunteers helped organizations address critical issues related to gender equality and women’s rights. Joining their forces at the global level, they contributed to … Building networks for gender equality and women’s economic empowerment UN Women harnessed the energy and commitment of 25 online volunteers to help set the stage for launching The Knowledge Gateway for Women’s Economic Empowerment, an innovative online platform that provides women and girls with knowledge

Story 06 Feb 2016

Working together to empower Batwa minorities in Uganda

UN Online Volunteers support the NGO Centre for Batwa Minorities Together with the Centre for Batwa Minorities (CBM), an NGO based in Kampala, Uganda, UN Online Volunteers from around the world are advocating for the rights of the Batwa people and work to empower communities and individuals of this ethnic minority in Uganda. Anita Kiddu Muhanguzi, one of the NGO’s founders and Head of CBM’s Legal and Advocacy Department, coordinated the organization’s collaboration with online volunteers. Working with the volunteer teams on a variety of projects, Anita feels

Story 02 Feb 2016

Volunteers working together online and on the ground for the MY World Survey in Bangladesh

The United Nations Volunteers programme in Bangladesh involved a team of more than 50 online volunteers to reach out to Bangladeshi people and add their voices to the MY World survey. My World is a global survey asking citizens to choose their priorities for a better world. UN Youth Volunteer Merel Fuchs coordinated the dissemination and analysis of the MY World Survey in Bangladesh and the volunteers’ involvement in the process: online volunteers translated the survey’s ballot card and other texts into Bangla. Volunteers on the ground disseminated the survey in many different regions of Bangladesh and talked to people about their development priorities to collect the data. “

Tips for volunteers 22 Jan 2016

Getting started

How to volunteer online Your first step is to find an online volunteering opportunity that interests you. Opportunities posted by development organizations are published on the Opportunity Search page of the Online Volunteering service website. Use the search filters or keyword search to find an opportunity that is right for you. Study the opportunity description carefully to make sure you meet the outlined requirements and can commit the time indicated. After creating an account on www.onlinevolunteering.org, you can

Tips for organizations 22 Jan 2016

Getting started

How can my organization receive support from volunteers? Once your organization has registered with the Online Volunteering service, you will get access to the website’s opportunity and volunteer management tools. The first step is to post an online volunteering opportunity in which you describe the task for which you seek support. UNV reviews all opportunities before they are published on the website to ensure they are in line with the criteria and provides guidance on how to present the opportunities in order to attract applications from qualified c

Tips for volunteers 22 Jan 2016

How to present your online volunteering contributions

You are among the volunteers who complete an assignment through the UNV Online Volunteering service You can present your contributions to peace and development as a UN Online Volunteer to others: Mention your volunteer activities in your CV Online volunteering is a valuable experience that you can be proud to mention. You can refer to your status as “UN Online Volunteer for XYZ organization”, and briefly outline your task and contributions. Tell others about online volunteering Help us spread the word on online volunteering so that more organizations can benefit from the support of more online

Story 14 Jan 2016

Volunteering online for climate change mitigation

13 UN Online Volunteers supported the NGO Fundacion Desarollo y Ambiente on a research project to predict the effects of climate change For more than two years, 13 UN Online Volunteers supported the Fundacion Desarollo y Ambiente (FUNDA) on a research project that analyzes, categorizes and maps types of vegetation and landscape to predict the effects of climate change. The Colombian NGO focuses on studying the relationship between vegetation types and environment in various regions of the country, with the aim of making this research available to the government and inform national environmental policies regarding conservation an

Award 05 Dec 2015

Association des Agriculteurs Professionels du Cameroun (AGRIPO) Team

Komivi Messan Akakpo, Alexandra Carraz-Ceselli, Laura Guien, Claudine Lecuret, Alexandra Lepin, Frédéric Millogo, Silvia Muiña, Andréanne Roux, Jonathan Sharp, Réjean Tremblay, Winnifrede de Schaetzen Since June 2014, more than 100 UN Online Volunteers have been collaborating with Agriculteurs Professionels du Cameroun (AGRIPO), a community-led innovative rural development programme operating in the village of Tayap, situated in the rainforest of the Congo basin of central Cameroon. Faced with progressive destruction of natural habitats and biodiversity as well as growing scarcity of agricultural land, Tayap’s 254 inhabitants, most of whom are farmers, recognized the need to change their pra

Award 05 Dec 2015

UN Women Team

Jaslin Kalsi, Gesu Antonio Baez, Laura Cook Three UN Online Volunteers substantially contributed to the conceptualization and implementation of “I am (wo)man”, a digital media campaign run by UN Women calling on individuals worldwide to share personal stories about women’s economic empowerment. Empower Women is an engagement and collaborative hub, connecting women and men from the private sector, civil society, academia, governments and international organizations to take action for women empowerment online and offline. Since 2013, it inv

Award 05 Dec 2015

Seeds Theatre Group Team

Angie Bojtler, Etan Nechin, Kathy Connolly, Robyn Santa Maria, Zara Qaiser The traditional belief in sorcery is used to justify violence against women in Papua New Guinea (PNG). Inhumane treatment of innocent women accused of sorcery is common in rural parts of the island as sorcery is thought to account for unexplained deaths or misfortunes in a family or village. For more than 12 years, Seeds Performing Arts Theatre Group has been using theatre drama to raise awareness on issues affecting the local rural population, including violence against women. The performances

Award 05 Dec 2015

Hunger Reduction International Team

Prerna Bakshi Hunger Reduction International (HRI) is a Somalian relief and humanitarian development organization established in 2011, working in partnership with local communities to alleviate the impact of hunger on the lives of poor and vulnerable individuals. Prerna Bakshi became an online volunteer for HRI in 2013, when the organization was still in an incipient stage, struggling to establish itself and attain its developmental goals despite the instability and volatility of the region. The online collab

Award 05 Dec 2015

Fundación Comunidades Vulnerables de Colombia (FUNCOVULC) Team

Anahi Silva Tosca UN Online Volunteers have been an unparalleled professional asset to the Fundación Comunidades Vulnerables de Colombia (FUNCOVULC), a non-profit organization committed to the identification and comprehensive care of individuals suffering from Huntington Disease and other Rare Diseases in Colombia. Overwhelmed by inexplicable degenerative symptoms and confronted with economic and social exclusion, individuals affected by any of these life-threatening or chronically debilitating diseases fail to

Story 03 Jul 2015

Online volunteers help prepare the ground for Nepal emergency relief

A group of 14 UN Online Volunteers joined the Standby Task Force and its experienced volunteers to collect valuable data When the 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal on 25 April 2015, the Standby Task Force initiated its response to the crisis within just a few hours. This volunteer-based network of online community response teams started collecting tweets and images describing the immediate situation, classifying the tweets and geo-locating images for assessing damages and needs. It also collected data on which organizations were carrying out relief activities and where. A group of 14 UN Online Volunteers joined t

News 14 Jun 2015

Launch of the 2015 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report

The report was launched on 5 June 2015 in New York and is being rolled out at regional events in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Arab region. The State of the World’s Volunteerism Report 2015 is the first global review of the power of volunteer voices to help improve the way people are governed. Drawing on evidence from countries as diverse as Brazil, Kenya, Lebanon and Bangladesh, the report shows how ordinary people are volunteering their time, energies and skills to improve the way they are governed and engaged at local, national and global levels.

Story 05 Feb 2014

Improving the availability of information on rights and participation of community stakeholders

UN Online Volunteers helped translate the case studies from English to the local languages The UNDP Equator Initiative brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses and grassroots organizations to acknowledge and advance local sustainable development solutions for people, nature and resilient communities. As local and indigenous groups across the world chart a path towards sustainable development, the Equator Initiative recognizes their efforts by honouring them with the biennial Equator Prize. The Equator Initiative has created a case study database docum

Award 05 Dec 2013

Association of African Entrepreneurs Team

Aksa Bilal, Chioma Okwudiafor, Daniel Benson, David Arnett, Diego Lopez, Eleana Velentza, Fanny Bessem, Fortunato Novelliere, Gabriela Campos, Hamsini Srinivasan, Happy Mukama, James Carstensen, Kirthi Jayakumar, Lontsi Fomekong, A global team of 48 online volunteers carried out research on the entrepreneurial environment in African countries and produced an e-book and articles for the Association of African Entrepreneurs (AAE). The final product, titled “Hopes and Mirages”, is intended to serve as a guide for anyone who wishes to embark on a business enterprise in the region. Happy Mukama, an attorney born in Uganda, contributed an article on investment trade facilitation in Rwanda, where he now resides. He negotiated

Award 05 Dec 2013

Ann Foundation Team

Abhishek N., Aruna Babu, Arundhathi Harikrishna, Bushra Ferdous Khan, Cheryl Stafford, Debjani Sengupta, Deepa Chandrashekar, Deepa Kumar, Pavithra S., Pavithra Rajan, Renganayaki Nambi, Rahul Muralidhara, Saleshni Chaudhary* Online volunteers from across the globe have been developing and teaching daily online classes in various languages to children with visual or hearing disabilities across eight cities in India for Ann Foundation. The U.S.-based NGO is a volunteer organization dedicated to educating and empowering economically and socially marginalized children and youth with disabilities through partnerships with local organizations and agencies in India, Ukraine, Cameroon, Tanzania and Egypt. With the support o

Award 05 Dec 2013

Asociación Aprendo Contigo Team

Leonardo Parrado Varón Online volunteer Leonardo Parrado Varón from Colombia supported children’s right to education by putting his design skills at the service of the Asociación Aprendo Contigo (I Learn with You), a Peruvian non-profit organization that delivers educational services to children and youth undergoing medical treatments. His 20 designs of Pipo, the organization’s signature doll, were used to produce two new board games for children. 200 sets have already been sold, helping the organization gain visibili

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Award 05 Dec 2013

Colombian Red Cross Team

Leonardo Parrado Varón, Susana Mammola The Colombian Red Cross collaborated with online volunteers to design training resources for Red Cross volunteers, produce educational materials for vulnerable communities, draft the 50th anniversary edition of the Grey Ladies Magazine and develop an outreach campaign for the recruitment of national Red Cross volunteers. Thanks to the contributions of Leonardo Parrado Varón, a professional designer from Colombia, and Susana Mamola, an Argentinian communication specialist, the Colombian Red Cross

Award 05 Dec 2013

Delta Women Team

Elaheh Zohrevandi, Emmanuel Owobu, Isaac Owusu, Kirthi Jayakumar, Suman George, Usha Shenoy A team of online volunteers produced a monthly e-zine, supported a campaign to open the first school in Okoijorogu village and drafted an eye-care plan that serves several villages in rural Nigeria. They collaborated with Delta Women, a U.S.-based NGO working to empower women in Delta state, Nigeria, and worldwide. Each of these projects is being coordinated by online volunteers, who have become invaluable assets to Delta Women. “What these volunteers have achieved through the internet is simply

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Award 05 Dec 2013

Fondation Joseph the Worker Team

Camille Seccaud, Elizabeth Fernandez-Begault, Saley Djibo, Virginie Martins de Nobrega, Renaud d'Hérouville The Benin-based NGO Fondation Joseph the Worker tasked a team of online volunteers from France and Niger to produce a manual, guide and image box on the prevention of torture. The online volunteers researched, drafted and reviewed the texts, developed guidance documents for the image box and designed the images. Conceived as a practical tool for investigators, police officers, civil society organizations and ordinary citizens, the manual, which is being translated into local languages, offers pr

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