In a time when community support is more important than ever, the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV), the UN75 campaign and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) have launched an online global survey on public perceptions of volunteering ahead of the Global Technical Meeting later this year.
The UN75 global online survey aims to:
• Explore different perceptions and understandings of what it means to volunteer in each region.
• Examine how volunteers can make valuable contributions to sustainable development.
• Analyse the responses from each region to offer solutions during the Global Technical Meeting on Reimagining Volunteering for the 2030 Agenda.
• Encourage volunteers to help achieve a safer, fairer and more sustainable world by 2045.
Assisting with the social media outreach plan is Trinidad-born journalist and creative, Kamsha R. Maharaj, who has volunteered to oversee the local and regional online campaign.
The main goal of the outreach plan is to engage citizens in Trinidad and across the Caribbean who may not otherwise be aware of how they can volunteer in their communities and the positive effects volunteering has.
“I’ve been volunteering in my own way for several years, including as a Professional Mentor with my alma mater’s University of Leicester’s Professional Mentoring Programme, an Online Volunteer and #VolunteerSDGs Advocate and offering my assistance to local charities by writing and editing content as needed,” Maharaj said.
“By participating in the survey, I was given a chance to let my voice be heard on a global scale. You can now do this too. Volunteering looks and feels different to each person, and we can all pitch in to help in the way that’s most comfortable. Whatever the type of activity, volunteering helps shape not just our communities, but ourselves as well.”
While many people are either in self-quarantine, lockdown or asked by their government to stay home, online volunteering has surged in recent weeks. The online survey is also a great way for people to offer their time and feedback to help create a better understanding of how volunteering can and will change our futures.
Interested persons are asked to visit https://poa.un75.online/partner/UNV-kamshamaharaj to complete the survey; which is available in 13 languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French.
