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UN marks International Volunteer Day

By JT - Dec 06,2019 - Last updated at Dec 06,2019

AMMAN — The UN on Thursday marked International Volunteer Day by celebrating and recognising volunteers worldwide who make a difference everyday in their communities.

More than 1 billion people globally are estimated to volunteer, making contributions worth 2.4 per cent of the global GDP, according to a statement from UN Volunteers.

In a remote area of South Sudan, Mary, an experienced midwife from Tanzania, delivers a baby as the first rays of sun stream into a UN clinic. Mary is a UN Volunteer dedicated to keeping mothers and newborns healthy. 

On the bustling streets of New York, Amari, a student in social justice from Iraq, urges an elderly man to seek shelter as the temperatures drop below zero. Amari volunteers 10 hours a week, committed to the local hypothermia prevention programme. 

“In so many areas of our lives we take volunteers for granted,” read the statement. 

When a natural disaster occurs, local volunteers are always the first ones to respond, risking their own lives to reduce the impact for others, the statement said. 

International Volunteer Day is a day to reflect on each and every volunteer action, and show appreciation, according to the statement. 

From China to the Dominican Republic, Zambia to Afghanistan, this year’s events focus on volunteering and inclusion. 

The current world challenges; whether climate change, poverty or the need for equality — require everyone to be involved.

“Volunteerism is a powerful mechanism to engage people, especially those left farthest behind, in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. When people volunteer, they connect with others and foster a sense of purpose,” the Secretary-General of the United Nations was quoted in the statement as saying on the occassion.

Through volunteerism, communities around the world often experience strengthened solidarity and inclusion. Volunteering also can help in recognition of the inherent respect for all people; regardless of gender, age, ethnic background, disability or sexuality. Through voluntary actions, people on the margins can become more included in societies, noted the statement.

For example, #HerStory initiative, with 500 volunteer editors throughout the Arab states, has increased the representation of women in the Arabic-language Wikipedia, achieving more gender inclusiveness in the culture of the region, according to the statement. 

UN Volunteers in the Accessible India Campaign augmented accessibility for people with disabilities by auditing 1,600 public buildings across 25 major cities. And in refugee camps across the globe, displaced people themselves are volunteering for children’s education and better intercultural understanding, the global body said in its statement.

International Volunteers Day (IVD), is an international observance that was mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. The day is an opportunity to promote volunteerism, encourage governments to support volunteer efforts and recognise volunteer contributions to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, according to the statement.

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