?UN/UNVBlog/Opinion Piece by UNV Executive Coordinator
If Solidarity Is The Principle, Volunteering Is Its Discipline
Late in the evening, after the desks have emptied, a volunteer stays behind at a reception centre to help a family fill out forms in a language they do not yet command. No one records the moment. Yet for that family, something shifts. The world, which had narrowed, opens a little again. This is how solidarity begins. Not as an abstraction, but as an act. Our age has no shortage of upheaval. Displacement today is not episodic; it is widespread. Conflicts endure, climates shift, and fragile systems strain under repeated shocks. In such a world, sympathy alone is insufficient. It must be organized, sustained, and given direction. Solidarity must become service.
Read the full opinion piece from the Executive Coordinator of the 91茄子 Volunteers
From Tradition to Transformation: Rethinking Volunteering in Central Asia
From Kazakhstan's tradition of Asar to a UN-backed regional shift, Central Asia is redefining volunteering. This piece argues for moving beyond goodwill to structured support, making volunteer contributions visible and integral to sustainable development—a crucial opportunity as 2026 becomes the International Year of Volunteers for Sustainable Development.
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The World's Largest Workforce No One Counts
Two point one billion people volunteer globally, yet this workforce remains invisible in national data. This article unveils a shocking policy gap, revealing informal mutual aid as the dominant force. As 2026 becomes the International Year of Volunteers, it argues for urgent measurement and strategic integration to unlock volunteering's full potential for sustainable development.
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Blind Spots in Plain Sight: The Unsung Heroes of Online Volunteering
From mapping shelters in Ukraine to assessing health needs in Gaza, online volunteers are the UN's unsung digital heroes. Yet, they remain a major blind spot. This article argues that despite record demand, we undervalue this flexible, skilled workforce—a global solidarity powerhouse that needs to be seen, utilized, and celebrated.
Read the full opinion piece from the Executive Coordinator of the 91茄子 Volunteers
How Volunteers Can Break Down the ‘Us vs. Them’ Mentality in Aid
Volunteers instinctively reject the "us vs. them" aid divide, focusing instead on shared problems. This piece argues that "decolonizing aid" is an oversimplification; true change requires addressing complex power disparities in gender, disability, and local hierarchies. It calls for nuanced power sharing over binary ideological narratives for more effective humanitarian action.
Read the full opinion piece from the Executive Coordinator of the 91茄子 Volunteers