News

The first United Nations State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) published on December 5th calls for making volunteer action an integral part of the new development consensus.

The report was launched by UNV at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, United States, and in many countries around the world including Jordan. The Launch of the report coincides with the marking of International Volunteer Day at the National Gallery of Fine Art and the closure of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers.

Following recommendations of the United Nations Member States in their 2010 review of progress towards meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015, the SWVR shows that volunteerism is an effective way to implement community-led strategies. While it is clear that major efforts are needed to achieve the MDGs, there is also growing recognition that the current development paradigm, based on economic development and access to services, is severely limited. The dimension of well-being, putting people’s life satisfaction at the centre, needs more attention.

In addition to launching the global report, The United Nations Volunteers coordinated local and International Volunteer Day activities at an UNRWA school in Hay Nazal towards the end of November. The initiative focused on communicating the value of volunteerism through hands-on and interactive activities between volunteers and students. These activities were supported and implemented by local partners and volunteers involving organizations including the Princess Basma Youth Resource Center, Ruwwad, Kitabi Kitabk, JICA and Dafa theatre, all of whom are leading examples of how volunteering matters to local communities in Jordan.