Volunteers: World´s tenth largest nation

What could be more suitable in the festive, gift-filled season we now enter in our part of the world, than to celebrate those who give?

Today is International Volunteer Day, and the main focus of this international day this time is awareness of and recognition for volunteers and volunteer organizations. If volunteers were a nation, they would form the 10^th largest nation in the world.  The purpose of the international day is to recognize the commitment and impact of this “nation”, and to applaud them for this very commitment and impact.

In his message on this day, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stresses that this commitment comes in many forms:

“Let us remember that volunteering can embrace all people, from the activist who works full-time for a cause to the occasional citizen who reaches out when he or she can.  Each sets an example of the spirit of compassion we need.”

International Volunteer Day is celebrated 5 December and constitutes a chance for volunteer-involving organizations and individual volunteers to promote their contributions to development at local, national and international levels. By merging UN support with a grassroots mandate, the International Volunteer Day is a unique opportunity for volunteer-involving organizations to work with government agencies, non-profit organizations, community groups and the private sector.

International Volunteer Day was established by the UN General Assembly through Resolution 40/212 on 17 December 1985. This year we celebrate our commitment and hope for a better world.

For more information about International Volunteer Day 2012, please visit: volunteeractioncounts.org

Share your stories and pledges to make your volunteer actions count on the campaign website: ivd2012.org

Celebrate on Twitter: #IVD2012  #actioncounts