Transcript Making distinctive contributions

United Nations Volunteers
Volunteerism for Peace and Development
Adeline Aubry
CBA Volunteerism & Community Adaptation Specialist
United Nations Development Programme
June 2009
UNV in profile
Established in 1971 by the UN General Assembly
as a development partner for the UN system.
The focal point for the promotion and wider recognition
of volunteerism within the UN.
Administered by UNDP.
Why Volunteerism for Development?
Societies need to build their own solutions.
Volunteerism is a powerful means to engage ordinary people
in tackling development challenges and to make communities
an active development actor and not anymore passive recipient.
Volunteerism is part of the fabric of most societies.
Volunteers who receive guidance and organized leadership can
contribute to development in a sustainable and constructive manner.
The MDGs need the contribution and support of millions of people.
Volunteers as a
Key Development Resource
“Achieving the Millennium Development Goals
will require the contributions of
millions of ordinary people through voluntary action.”
Kofi Annan
What we believe
Volunteerism for development
Delivers benefits
→ to society at large and to individual volunteers
Makes important contributions
→ economically and socially
Contributes to a more cohesive society
→ by building trust and reciprocity
Is universal, diverse and inclusive
→ by offering opportunities for excluded people to participate,
and advocating for equal opportunities for all through VIOs
(Volunteer-Involving Organizations)
UNV Business Model
Global Advocacy
to make the contribution of volunteerism
recognised globally
Mobilization
of
Volunteers
Integration
of volunteerism into
development programming
global advocacy
examples
Support research to assess the impact of volunteerism
Johns Hopkins University / UN Statistics Division / ILO
– Now 26 countries are reporting the contribution of non-profit activities in their
national accounts
– Average 5% contribution to the economy from volunteerism, philanthropy
Stimulate national policy and legislation supportive of volunteerism
Since the International Year of Volunteers, over 70 countries have introduced
new laws or policies on volunteerism
Communicating through publications, campaigns and media outreach
“Teach India”
Integration in development programming
based on partnerships
Corporate & Private Sector
UN organisations
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European Union
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IADB
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IFRC
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IPU
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New Academy of Business
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OneWorld
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Cisco
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Kraft
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Project Urgent
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Shell Project Better World
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Suez
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ESCAP
FAO
ICAO
IFAD
ILO
IMO
Millennium Campaign
OCHA
UNCDF
UNHCHR
UNHCR
UNCHS
UNCTAD
UNDOC
UNDP
UNDPKO
Nothing we want to do in isolation!
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UNESCO
UNICEF
UNOPS
UNIDO
UNFPA
WFP
WHO
Cooperating agencies
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etc.
AVI
CIVICUS
DED
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IAVE
VSO
Mobilization of volunteers
9,000
8,000
7,000
7,991 UNV assignments in 2008
Demand remains strong
6,000
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1,000
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Who are UNV volunteers?
37 years average age
5-10 years average working experience
159 nationalities
100+ professional categories:
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Project managers and administrators
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Policy advisors
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Engineers & technicians
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Doctors and health professionals
Men
64%
Women
36%
Where UNV volunteers work?
Europe
& CIS
Latin America
& Caribbean
Africa
Asia & Pacific
Arab
States
In 2007:
7,753
UNV volunteers
79% from developing countries (south-south cooperation)
34% volunteered within their own countries (sustainability)
What do UNV volunteers do?
Achieving the MDGs and reducing human poverty
HIV/AIDS awareness, training, monitoring, evaluation
Disaster Prevention, Management and Recovery
Support for elections and democratic governance
Peace building and conflict resolution
Civil affairs and human rights
Communications and training
Community development and mobilization
Environmental monitoring, eco-tourism, energy
…
Health: prevention is better than cure
Dr. Vincent Onah works in
Zomba Central hospital, Malawi.
He and colleagues volunteer
to teach parents preventative
medicine.
Women then voluntarily
spread their knowledge
in their own villages.
Gender: raising the agenda
National UNV volunteer Aicha Dariti,
one of six volunteers
ensuring gender mainstreaming
in Morocco’s development programmes.
Environment: reclaiming the desert
In Ethiopia, guided by the UNV volunteers' expertise,
the local youth volunteers:
- construct trenches and micro-basins to conserve soil and water
- plant tree seedlings and Jatropha,
- run apiculture centres and nursery sites.
200 youth volunteers (43% female)
at four pilot sites
covering 438 hectares.
Kenya’s neighborhood volunteers
Fostering coexistence after ethnic violence in late 2007, volunteers:
- mediate and talk to youth about peace and reconciliation
- support District Commissioners to identify potential disturbances
- ensure that humanitarian aid is evenly distributed
“We have a connection with the people
at the community level
and intend to use our acquired skills
to bring the entire settlement together.”
Gregory Ngugi
UNV volunteers fighting HIV/AIDS
In many parts of the world, it was volunteers who first raised
HIV and AIDS as an issue critically needing to be addressed.
UNV volunteers are:
- empowering and involving people living with HIV
to respond to stigma and discrimination
- promoting voluntary counseling and testing
- providing home-based care
- conducting media awareness campaigns
- establishing micro-grant facilities
for income-generating activities
-influencing national development policies
UNV Assistant
to the UNDP Resident Coordinator
Dolores Nunez is serving as an assistant
to the UNDP Res Rep in Ecuador
and in the same time
she builds capacities of
Volunteer-Involving Organizations
and train the members of
the national association of volunteerism
on project writing.
UNV volunteers are professionals
working on a peer basis
UNV volunteers listen and discuss
teach and train
encourage and facilitate
but do not replace
as primary responsibility rests
with the government and
the community.
UNV volunteers act as a catalyst in helping to mobilize the local
population to generate positive changes in their own communities.
focus on developing local capacities
Reduce dependency
Empower
Foster ownership
Enhance sustainability
Not give fish to people,
but teach them
how to catch the fish.
UNV‘s added-value
Bridge between
communities, authorities,
civil society and UN
Inclusion and participation
Non-threatening
of marginalised people
appraoch
Youth
mobilisation
UN face
Flexibility
in the field
Creativity
National
Passion
ownership
Role model
South-South
and represent values
Capacity collaboration
building
Online
Development
Volunteers
organizations
25
“…let us recognize the power of volunteerism
to promote peace and development around the world.
Let us also pay tribute to the many millions of citizens
all over the world who, every day
– in ways small and large –
volunteer their time, ingenuity, solidarity and creativity
to help build a better, more sustainable future.”
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
thank you
Adeline Aubry
CBA Volunteerism & Community Adaptation Specialist
United Nations Development Programme
June 2009