Digital Reach

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NDERLYING ALL THE

activities of the United Nations

Volunteers (UNV) programme is the commitment to

support global efforts to attain the Millennium

Development Goals (MDGs) through the promotion of volun-

teerism, including the mobilization of volunteers. As part of this

endeavour, UNV continually challenges itself to create innova-

tive ways to enable more people to engage in this global

campaign to end extreme poverty by 2015. One such channel

is the Online Volunteering (OV) service, which was launched

by UNV in 2000.

By combining the ‘anywhere, anytime’ connectivity of the

Internet with people who want to volunteer for development, the

OV service has proved to be an invaluable resource for hundreds

of organizations working to improve the living conditions of some

of the world’s most destitute people.

Now, after five years in operation, the OV service has to date

engaged thousands of people who have completed 10 000 assign-

ments for more than 700 non-governmental and civil society

organizations. Of these, approximately 55 per cent are based in

the developing world, as are 45 per cent of the online volunteers.

And for many of the participating organizations, online volun-

teers present a tremendous and much-needed resource by helping

organizations to stretch on-site resources even further, serve more

people, and build upon their skills base.

Online volunteers also benefit from this exchange. It is a perfect

channel for people who want to volunteer but cannot take time

off work or be away from their home country.

Not only do they learn about other cultures and countries, they

also gain knowledge about the many intricate issues faced by

those living in other parts of the world.

While online volunteers participate in many diverse activities,

some examples of their contributions include providing online

tutorials in various academic and technical areas, offering profes-

sional expertise and advice, researching topics and gathering

related data, building databases, editing and preparing press

releases and proposals, creating websites, designing brochures

and newsletters, managing other online volunteers, and translat-

ing documents.

Diversity of experiences

Yasemin Gunay of Turkey helped research information that led

to Nigeria’s Mgbala Agwa Youth Forum being able to expand its

library on HIV and AIDS by more than 1 150 publications. The

library that was originally built to serve a local community is

now gaining more regional importance because of its scope and

diversity of resources. Ms Gunay said: “Being an online volun-

teer has made me feel really special because I feel that my efforts

are helping many people whom I have never even met. I have

also learned that one can achieve anything if he or she truly

believes in it.”

Kelly (Xiaodong) Zeng of China, now residing in the United

States, volunteered online with the Business Information Centre

Straldja, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to support

unemployed Bulgarian artisans. Using skills learned at business

school, Ms. Zeng engaged in online activities to market the orga-

nization’s website, which sells Bulgarian crafts, more effectively.

In particular, she designed an e-mail campaign targeting online

craft discussion groups.

A week later, members of two of these online discussion groups

had donated USD7 000 – enough to fund the women’s weaving

and sewing cooperative project of the organization.

Ms Zeng said: “I have a few words to those people who consider

online volunteering. Search your soul and find out why you want

to apply for that assignment. Think very hard about how your

skill set will contribute to the organization, but equally impor-

tant, what skills you will be able to develop. Be flexible and

open-minded. She added that even if some assignments may

sometimes sound mundane, they are the “building pieces of big

plans. Once we put everything together, you will see how much

we can accomplish as a team.”

Connected development:

volunteers contribute time and skills online

United Nations Volunteers

A computer and Internet access enable online volunteers to support

development initiatives from just about anywhere

Photo: UNV/Jean-Baptiste Avril