The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that supports human development globally by promoting volunteerism and by mobilizing volunteers. It is administered by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and operates amidst growing recognition that volunteerism makes important contributions, economically and socially, towards more cohesive societies. Every year some 5,000 UN Volunteers (UNVs) from more than 150 different nationalities actively support the development work of the United Nations Organization through its funds, programmes and specialized agencies.

 In Jordan, there are currently eleven volunteers in the UNV Programme.  Four of them are international volunteers (IUNVs) and seven are Jordanians.

 Of the IUNVs, two are working as protection officers for UNHCR, one as IT Specialist at UNIFEM, and one supporting the Programme Unit at UNDP.

 “If the world is to make progress in implementing the Millennium Declaration and move decisively towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it will need people everywhere to be involved” UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan said.  Four of the Jordanian UNVs are carrying out the UN Country team project named “Taking MDGs to the People”. Through their visits to 63 local communities Jordan is breaking new ground in engaging its population in the realization of the MDGs and initiating a genuine community based debate on development issues. If successful, this project in Jordan will demonstrate to other countries how the MDG process can be energized by public participation at community level.

 Through the UNVs’ work on-the-ground, consultations with local communities and assessments of their development needs, UNVs are encouraging the debate on the MDGs in remote areas and promoting volunteerism and “civil participation” in young people who have started to be engaged in the project objectives.

 During the UN Country Team celebration of the UN Day 2004 in Jordan, a group of 8 young people of ages ranging between 12 to 17 from Kufranjah, a small town 1-hour north of Amman, joined the event and presented their opinions and development challenges that they are determined to solve in their own community. These young people discuss frequently with the UNVs issues related to education, environment and health and they managed to raise awareness among school students on MDGs.

 Another three Jordanian UNVs are actively involved in the UNIFEM “e-Village Initiative”, as IT Network Administrator, Information and Awareness Component Leader and as an Entrepreneur Component Leader. As a model to bridging the country’s digital divide, the project seeks to address the need to increase the capacities and economic opportunities of rural women in the field of information and communications technology within the two villages Lib and Mleih (near Madabe). It aims at increasing awareness of opportunities for women’s participation in rural economy and ensuring gender equality with respect to the labor market.

These three UNVs contribute to the project’s different components by leading their respective teams in developing work plans and log frames in addition to ensuring the implementation of activities using their specialization and technical expertise.  Furthermore, they promote the concept of volunteerism and ICT and gender equity in the villages.  Because the e-Village Initiative involves participation of several national ICT partners, UNVs are able to promote their vision and mandate not only within the village but also towards their project partners.

 Volunteerism has been globally recognized as a catalyst, a powerful and productive channel for change, and volunteers are valuable knowledge brokers, linking know-how with community needs.  Moreover, volunteering brings benefits not only to the recipient of the action but also to the individual volunteer.  It contributes to more cohesive society by building trust and reciprocity among citizens.