"Today, we are highlighting the millions of young volunteers around the world who are acting globally for social change."
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Message for the International Volunteer Day
Theme for 2013: YOUNG.GLOBAL.ACTIVE
International Volunteer Day (IVD) offers an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to make visible their contributions - at local, national and international levels - to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Apart from mobilising thousands of volunteers every year, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme works closely with partners and governments to establish national volunteer programmes to create structures that foster and sustain local volunteerism in countries. Through the Online Volunteering service volunteers can take action for sustainable human development by supporting the activities of development organizations over the Internet. Every day thousands of people are volunteering, online or on-site, contributing to peace and development and working to achieve the MDGs.
IVD 2013 is a global celebration of young people acting as the agents of change in their communities.
On International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2013, we not only celebrate and recognize volunteerism in all its facets – but pay special tribute to the contribution of youth volunteers in global peace and sustainable human development. For IVD 2013 we celebrate globally that young people act as the agents of change in their communities. On 5 December, 2013 join us in recognizing all volunteers' commitment and applaud hundreds of millions of people who volunteer to make the world a better place.
UNV Online Volunteering Award 2013
The purpose of the award is to recognize online volunteers’ contributions towards achieving the MDGs, to showcase the many ways in which online volunteers can strengthen the capacities of organizations and to demonstrate the difference volunteers can make to peace and development projects by sharing their time, skills and expertise over the Internet.
The UNV Online Volunteering Award presents an opportunity for both, online volunteers and organizations, to bring their online volunteering experiences and good practices to the attention of a global audience.
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