Volunteerism is a key resource that can provide valuable support for local governance and local development approaches. It can facilitate voluntary action at the local level, empower individuals and communities, and foster participation and social capital. United Nations Volunteers (UNV) provides various modalities for mobilizing volunteers internationally and nationally, including national and international specialists, online volunteers, corporate volunteers, and youth volunteers. UNV volunteers represent diverse backgrounds and professional skills that can contribute to poverty eradication, crisis response, democratic governance, and sustainable development. Integrating volunteerism into development programs and planning in intentional ways can help achieve development goals through voluntary action at local levels.

1. Volunteerism as a Key
Resource for the LG&LD
Approach
Tapiwa Kamuruko
UNV, Development Division
13 Nov 2012, Kiev-Ukraine
UNV is administered by the United Nations Development Programme

2. KEY POINTS
• Volunteering & Mobilization
Strategies;
• the Structure of the Volunteer
Infrastructure;
• the Comparative /added value of volunteerism to
the approach;
• the Resources/Modalities
• Suggestion and recommendations

3. Volunteering & Mobilisation
Strategies
1. Promote Global recognition of volunteerism for
peace and development;
2. Ensure the integration of volunteerism into
development programmes;
3. Mobilization of increasing numbers of volunteers,
and increasing the diversity of volunteers
contributing to peace and development;

4. the AIM
Integration of V4D
Global Advocacy in
for V4D Development Planning
Mobilization
of
Volunteers

5. the Volunteer Infrastructure
• Strengthening the policy/legal environment for the
promotion/recognition of volunteerism in
development initiatives;
• Support existing national volunteer involving
schemes at the local level;
• Support specific volunteering interest groups such
women, youth and minority populations to
enhance their participation in
national/community level development activities;

6. Volunteerism impact in the
LG&LD sector
• Facilitates and enables voluntary
action/cohesion at the local level;
• Empowers individuals and communities;
• Connects stakeholders towards mutual
accountability;
• Fosters depth and diversity of participation;
• Powerful social capital for improved
governance;
• Fills in the gap of limited state action-services

7. Areas of Distinctive Contribution
in the LG&LD Sector
•Linking policies with Access to Service and
Communities: Poverty Service Delivery
reduction activities
• Connect duty bearers Inclusion and
(Officials) with rights Participation
holders (Citizenry):
•Build Local Capacity Community/
empowerment & Voices Mobilization

8. Volunteerism Impact
Participation
Local
Empowerment
ownership
Volunteerism for
Peace and Development
Strengthening Community-Centred
Local capacities Sustainable
Development
Access to Service

9. UNV Volunteer Modalities
• National UN Volunteer Specialists;
(Serving in their own countries)
• International UN Volunteer Specialists;
(Serving outside their own countries)
• Online Volunteering;
( Serve from off site)
• Corporate Volunteering;
(Short and focused assignment)
• Youth Volunteering;

10. 1,530 registered development organizations
10,127 online volunteers in 2011
15,109 assignments in 2011
In English, French and Spanish

11. Who are UN Volunteers
38 years average age
5-10 years average working experience
158 nationalities
100+ professional categories:
 Project managers and administrators
Men Women
 Policy advisors 63% 37%
 Engineers & technicians
 Doctors and health professionals

12. Mobilization of Volunteers
9,000
8,000
7,708 assignments in 2011
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
12

13. Stats on Mobilization
7,765 UN Volunteers/7,960 UNV assignments
Environmen
t and Poverty
sustainable eradication
 5,224 International (34% women, 66% men) developmen and
t achievemen
4% t of MDGs
 2,541 National (43% women, 57% men) 30%
 32 percent in own country
 132 countries of assignment
 158 nationalities Crisis
prevention Democratic
and governance
 80 percent from developing countries recovery 26%
40%
 98 percent specialists
 37 percent women, 63 percent men
 Average age 38 with 5-10 years relevant
work
experience
 Financial magnitude: $235 million

14. Achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs) will require the contributions of millions of
ordinary people through voluntary action –
Kofi Anan (2001)

15. Integration of V in the Approach
• Embed and integrate volunteerism as
deliberate and intentional strategy for the
LG/LD approach beyond human resource
but programmatic;
• Identify specific/potential pathways such
as Upstream support for policy
review/analysis and formulation;
• Downstream for direct service delivery
and capacity strengthening at the
community level;

16. THANK YOU, MERCI BEACOUP, ASANTE
SANA