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The Volunteer Spirit
The UN and everyone of us who works for any UN entity, programme, fund, should really be motivated by an ethical imperative. This is what our oath of office says. We should never look upon our work as just a job, it should be a calling, and ideally, in that respect, all of us who are involved in the UN should be seen as volunteers in one way or another. Flavia Panseri, UNV Executive Coordinator
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the focal point for volunteerism in the United Nations system. The programme is administered by the UNDP and pursues distinctive contributions to human development through better access to opportunities and services and improved services delivery, greater inclusion and participation, and the mobilization of communities. UNV advocates the benefits of civic engagement and it integrates volunteerism into development planning. It also helps to mobilize volunteers in support of development objectives. Every year UNV directly mobilizes more than 7,500 volunteers for development projects and it operates OnlineVolunteering.org to connect development organizations with thousands of online volunteers worldwide. UNV volunteers are skilled professionals with an average age of 37 and 5-10 years of working experience. They work in more than 140 countries and 70 percent come from developing countries, with 40% volunteering within their own countries. For more information please consult http://www.unvolunteers.org/ UNV Programme in Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname Trinidad and Tobago's rich culture and diversity, along with its strategic position at the crossroad between Latin America and the Caribbean, provides remarkable potential for the support extended by UNV volunteers to contribute to development effectiveness. The scope of available resources for volunteer actions and project activities in which UNV volunteers can play a pivotal role is unlimited. The UNV Country Office in Port of Spain covers Trinidad and Tobago, as well as Suriname. Making a Difference through Volunteerism The UNV programme in Trinidad, Tobago and Suriname is taking a pro-active strategic approach towards implementing UNV Results Framework for development effectiveness. The Programme significance is demonstrated in two main areas of interventions of UNV’s Business Model (Advocacy, Integration and Mobilization of volunteer), focusing on Advocating for Volunteerism and Development, and Mobilizing Volunteers for Development and Peace. It provides valuable complementary interventions to the efforts of the UN system here, capitalizing on the volunteers’ distinctive contributions in the following areas: Access to services and service delivery, Capacity- building, Transfer of Knowledge, Inclusion and participation and Community mobilization through voluntary action. Our UNV volunteers in Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname come from 26 different countries: Argentina, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, India, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Philippines, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Zambia. Capacity Building through Volunteerism UNV volunteers have made substantial contributions in their various fields of expertise. They work as medical doctors, engineers, planners, architects, educators, trainers. UNV volunteers come from various backgrounds and bring to their individual projects a wealth of expertise, diversity and neutrality. UNV volunteers have embraced the challenges that come with delivery of quality goods and services in a developing country and have been commended in their various fields for their superb work ethic and invaluable contributions. UNV volunteers assigned in Trinidad and Tobago are currently providing expertise in capacity building to the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education; the Tobago house of Assembly, the Ministry of Local Government, and of course they are providing extended programme support to the UNDP Country Office. The UNV Programme in Trinidad and Tobago and Suriname, focusing on Advocacy and Mobilization of Volunteers, is pursuing the following initiatives in order to promote “Volunteerism for Development” and mobilize local communities for the MDGs efforts and peace causes at the local level:
Free Medical Camps are held in different locations over Trinidad and Tobago every month. In such occasions, UNV medical doctors provide free blood testing and a full health check-up to all kind of patients in need. At the medical camps set up by UNV volunteers, as well as at the VCT (Voluntary testing centres), patients also receive free health education, counselling and HIV-Aids awareness and support. On 5 December 2006, to commemorate the International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2006, medical camps were organized in partnership with UNDP and Rotary Club, and under the auspices of the Minister of Health, to promote Volunteerism for Development, reaching several thousands of unprivileged. Building Partnerships The UNV Programme has been working in close partnership with the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Local Government and the Tobago House of Assembly. In addition, on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day 2006 Medical Camps initiative, the UNV Programme has partnered with Rotary Clubs of Trinidad and Tobago.
UNV Volunteer Voices
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UNDP Trinidad & TobagoCountry Programmes
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