International Volunteer Day 2021
- Every year, the world observes International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development on 5 December to recognise and promote the contributions of volunteers around the world.
- The day celebrates the work of volunteers, at the local, national and international levels, towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
- Also known as International Volunteer Day (IVD), the occasion is marked by both individual volunteers and organisations.
History of day
- The UN General Assembly invited countries to observe IVD in 1985 under resolution 40/212 .
- It also urged the governments to take necessary steps to spread awareness about the importance of volunteer services and encourage more people to offer their services as volunteers.
- On 20 November 1997, the UNGA proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers (IYV) under its resolution 52/17 to facilitate the work of volunteers and promote volunteerism.
Benefits of volunteering
- Research shows that — compared with people who never volunteered — the odds of being “very happy” rose by seven percent among those who volunteer monthly and by 12 percent among those who volunteer every two-four weeks.
- Volunteering also helps keep people develop a solid support system and stay in regular contact with others. This mitigates the risk of social isolation, stress and depression in many volunteers.
Significance of day
- As per the United Nations website, International Volunteer Day provides an opportunity for people to promote volunteerism across the world.
- IVD encourages individual volunteers, organisations, and communities to boost their contributions towards the development and betterment of the world at both the grassroots and international levels.
- The day is also observed by civil societies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector.
- About 70 percent of volunteer work happens informally between people and communities and does not involve any organisation.
Theme
- This year the theme for the day is ""Volunteer now for our common future"".
- It seeks to inspire people to work for the betterment of the planet.
- The United Nations Volunteer Program (UNV) coordinates the IVD programme each year to recognise the work being done by volunteers across the world.