UNDP launches inaugural State of the World Volunteerism Report

Feb 11, 2012 News

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Under the theme “Universal value of global wellbeing” the first ever State of the World Volunteerism Report was launched yesterday at the Brickdam and United Nations Place, Georgetown, United Nations Development Programme office yesterday.
The report was ideally launched here as, according to Acting Resident Representative of UNDP, Ms. Chisa Mikami, Guyana has a rich legacy of volunteerism and nation building. She pointed out that since 1994 more than 400 national and international volunteers have been working in this country. These, she said, have been working closely with Government and Non-Governmental Agencies as well as Civil Society Organizations in all areas of human development.
The Resident Representative disclosed that the Report focuses on the universal value that motivates people the world over to volunteer for the common good and sheds light on the impact of a volunteer’s action on societies and individuals. However, she pointed out that the Report cannot be launched without reflecting on those, who over the years committed to volunteerism. “As we launch this Report we also come together to pay tribute to millions of volunteers around the world, both men and women, who showed that every citizens makes a difference and that volunteerism matters.” Volunteerism over the years, she added, continues to make significant contributions towards reaching the United Nations’ targets such as the Millennium Development Goals, humanitarian response, poverty reductions and sustainability.
Volunteerism, she said, was recognized as an important factor in development in 2001 when 126 Member States co-sponsored a General Assembly resolution at the end of the International Year of Volunteers. That resolution, the Resident Representative revealed, provided numerous policy recommendations to Governments, UN Bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations and others, on ways to support and promote volunteerism.
The UN System, she explained, believes in the power of volunteerism to promote cooperation, encourage participation and contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and of society as a whole.
However, the global community, she noted, faces a myriad of challenges from environmental degradation, disasters, conflicts, humanitarian emergencies, the financial crisis, and political transitions. All of these, she said, have the power to de-stabilise communities and undermine hard gains of the past decade. “We must therefore realize that common challenges require common responses for our common future…Rising to these challenges demand solidarity, creativity, engagement and partnership from all segments of our society.”
She noted too that with the world’s population now at seven billion, it is important to leverage resources in better and more effective ways. Volunteerism, she said, is a people-centered approach to peace, humanitarian response and sustainable development. “It strengthens trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens…It empowers change from the grassroots up especially when enabled by strong partnerships at every level,” the Resident Representative asserted.
The United Nations Volunteer Programme was established 40 years ago and deploys about 8,000 volunteers annually through UN Agencies Funds and Programmes, peace keeping and special political missions. “UNVs contribute to the UN’s global agenda and supports national development efforts.”
In Guyana, she explained, that National UNVs are young people geared towards playing a more important role in democratic governance and being the agents of peaceful change in the community. The last group of national UNVs who worked in partnership between the UNDP’s Enhanced Public Trust security and Inclusion (EPTSI) Project and the UNV Programme was the largest recruitment of volunteers in the Latin American and Caribbean nations, she added. Apart from this the Guyana National UN volunteers had the unique characteristic of being the youngest national UNVs in the history of the UNDP programme. “Let us take this opportunity to reinvigorate the spirit of volunteerism through collaborative action among Governments and UN systems, civil society and the private sector in order to share ideas, expertise and experiences,” Ms Chisa Mikami said.
After presenting a concise outlined of the Report, UNV Programme Officer at UNDP, Ms Michiru Ito, it was officially handed over to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkette. In commending the effort she made reference to the importance of remembering those who lost their lives while engaged in volunteerism even as she alluded to the Government’s gratitude for the invaluable contributions of volunteers. And even as she lauded the efforts of overseas volunteers she noted that “it would be remiss of me, perhaps sacrilege, if I do not recognize our volunteers right here. There are many of them working out there quietly and perhaps their motto is that ‘the deeds that are most esteemed are those that are concealed’ because you really don’t see them going out there making public what they are doing but they are doing a lot of good work.” The efforts of volunteerism, the Minister said, have helped to enhance the quality of life of our people in the health, education, social services sectors and in the course of the fight against HIV and AIDS.

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