International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on December 5 every year
By Er Arun Pattnaik
Jajpur,Dec 5 : International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development is observed on December 5 every year. The day is also referred to as IVD and is mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985. To achieve goals at the local, national and international levels, the UN offers an opportunity to volunteer-involving organisations and individual volunteers to promote volunteerism.
The General Assembly invites Governments to observe IVD and urges people to take measures to heighten awareness about the important contribution of volunteer service encouraging people in volunteer services in both home and abroad. The UN in resolution 52/17 of November 20, 1997, proclaimed 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers.
In 2001, International Years of Volunteers, the General Assembly adopted a set of recommendations in ways for the Government and UN systems to support volunteering and also asked them to give wide dissemination. Later, in 2002, the General Assembly called upon UNV to ensure the potential of International Volunteer Day.
IVD is observed across 80 countries in the world. UNV coordinates campaigns to promote IVD every year to build impact on volunteers amongst communities nationally and globally for peace and development. On International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development 2021, the UN aims to inspire people, decision-makers, leaders or citizens of the world to take action for people and the planet.
The theme for International Volunteer Day 2021 is Volunteer now for our common future. Several countries focus on volunteer contributions to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, a set of time-bound targets to combat poverty, hunger, disease, health, environmental degradation and gender equality.
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.
The United Nations General Assembly mandated observance also encourages governments to support volunteer efforts. 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.
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. 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. About 70 percent of volunteer work happens informally between people and communities and does not involve any organisation. 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.
