I believe that the UN needs good people to make the UN great. That’s the reason I created the UN Job List, to help good people find their spot in the UN System.
However, working for the UN is not all we can do to help make the UN System effective. There is also the option to donate – for instance UNESCO has a funding shortfall these days – and there is an even more powerful option which is to volunteer.
I personally deeply and passionately believe in the power of volunteering and so I’m very happy that there is UN Volunteers.
Here is what they say about themselves:
Professionally qualified people who are passionate about the work of the United Nations but are not primarily concerned about seeking career-opportunities with expected financial benefits may wish to consider the possibility of becoming a United Nations Volunteer.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme directly mobilizes more than 7,700 UN Volunteers every year nationally and internationally, with 80 per cent coming from developing countries, and more than 30 per cent volunteering within their own countries. UN Volunteers help, for example, to organize and run local and national elections and support a large number of peacekeeping and humanitarian projects. The key benefit of being a UN Volunteer is the personal satisfaction the volunteer assignment brings by making a positive impact on peace and development. There are also some limited financial benefits in place, including a monthly volunteer living allowance, annual leave and medical insurance.
Candidates interested in becoming UN Volunteers must be at least 25 years old, have a university degree or higher technical diploma and at least two years of professional work experience. In addition, good working knowledge in at least one of the three UN working languages English, French or Spanish is required.
To read more about becoming a UN Volunteer and to register, please visit the UNV homepage www.unvolunteers.org which also answers frequently asked questions about volunteer opportunities.
Now many of you will not have the time to donate a full year or two of their lives to being a volunteer but there is a solution for that, too:
UNV also operates the Online Volunteering service, which connects volunteers with organizations working for sustainable human development: Volunteers contribute their skills online to help organizations address development challenges. Organizations collaborate with online volunteers over the Internet to strengthen the impact of their development work. Every year, the Online Volunteering service mobilizes 10,000 online volunteers who support grassroots organizations, international NGOs, local governments, educational institutions and United Nations agencies in addressing development challenges over the Internet. They are professionals, students, homemakers, retirees, people with disabilities and expatriates from across the globe (62% are from developing countries).
If you are interested to volunteer online, please access UNV’s Online Volunteering Service at www.onlinevolunteering.org.
So whether it is a few hours or days you can dedicate as an Online Volunteer or a few years as a UN Volunteer or even a whole career in the UN, I believe that good people help each other out and contribute to the goals and ideals of the UN.
There is no harm to become or work as unv any where around the world. It is spring board to provide you more opperunity to understands United Nations systems. I was say before becoming a full doctor you have to go through house jobs or residence job in hospital to get more familier about the out patient door (OPD) Or what is is Emergencey Room (ER). It is prestige and an honour being work as UNV. I still remember when people called us in UN missions United Nation Victim (UNV). Being serving as unv in previous assignment, I feel proud and I take more than from assignment and give them less. I learn humble and shock with the plight of 3rd world countries.
Regards
Thanks for sharing! And yes, any volunteer can be proud I believe.
volunteer programme will work efficiently.
I’d also like to know your answers to the foiolwlng. If you haven’t volunteered before, what keeps you from volunteering? Is it fear? The notion that you don’t have enough experience to contribute anything ? Unrealistic expectations? Do you think that, once you do one thing for your chapter, you’ll be expected to always do something for your chapter? Is it situational shyness? I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Your elected officers have stood in your shoes. At one time, we’ve decided that, ok, it’s not too scary to write a meeting review or suggest a meeting topic and the person to present it. Tell us just one thing that we can do to help you. We want to remove all obstacles between you and volunteering. You never know how much you can benefit from the experience until you try, right?