Celebrating the Spirit of Volunteerism

8 Dec 2010

Celebrating the Spirit of Volunteerism


Dili, 7 December 2010 -
"Volunteering is important because you need people to do things not just for financial reasons, but because they want to help. If it wasn't for volunteers, many things wouldn't get done".


This is the view of Tessa Koppert at UNDP, one of the many UNVs (United Nations Volunteers) who participated in this year's International Volunteer Day celebrations in Timor-Leste.
Events to mark International Volunteer Day took place in Dili, Baucau and Oecussi, focusing on young people and promoting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Educational games, tree-planting and an art competition were just some of the activities organised. There were also public-speaking competitions on the subject of volunteerism, for students and members of Timor-Leste's Youth Parliament.
UNVs' involvement in Timor-Leste began in the lead up to the popular consultation for independence in August 1999. Since then over 3,000 UNVs, made up of more than 100 nationalities, have served in the country. Timor-Leste is one of the top host countries for UNVs.
Josephine Calag is from The Philippines and has been a UNV in Timor-Leste for one year. She works as a training officer for UNMIT. She explained why she was inspired to volunteer:
"When you volunteer you go beyond what is required in a normal job. The sincerity that goes with volunteering fosters a strong connection with the people who you are trying to help. This attitude starts with your friends and family and then extends globally."
Currently there are 127 International UNVs working for UNMIT, and a further 27 employed by the UN Agencies. Since 2004, many Timorese nationals have also served as International UNVs, in countries such as Afghanistan, Burundi, Haiti and Liberia.
"The spirit of volunteerism encourages communities to work together, looking after the weak and the old. I am proud of what I have achieved as a volunteer here in Timor-Leste" says Afrianto Kurniawan, who is from Indonesia and works as a water and sanitation engineer for UNICEF.
Other organisations in Timor-Leste also run sizeable volunteer programmes, and took part in the weekend's celebrations. The Red Cross in Timor-Leste (Cruz Vermelha de Timor-Leste or CVTL), has around 100 active volunteers in the country. Agapito da Silva, from the Dili Branch of CVTL, says that these national volunteers are crucial to his organisation:
"All CVTL's implementation work on the ground is done by the volunteers. They are the ones working in the districts, increasing access to information on subjects such as education and health. These volunteers are helping to improve the lives of their communities."
The UNV programme was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1970. Since then tens of thousands of volunteers have contributed to the United Nations mission worldwide. In his message for International Volunteer Day the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, stated:
"Volunteerism helps bring us together as individuals and societies. It is a powerful means of mobilizing all segments of society as active partners in building a better world. Let us honour volunteering as an expression of our common humanity and a way to promote mutual respect, solidarity and reciprocity."

*******


UNMIT KOMUNIKADU IMPRENSA
Selebra Espíritu Voluntarizmu

Dili, 7 Dezembru 2010 - "Voluntariza importante tanba ita presiza ema atu halo buat balun la'ós tanba de'it razaun finanseira, maibé tanba sira hakarak atu fó ajuda. Karik la iha voluntáriu sira, buat barak mak sei la halo hotu".
Ida-ne'e nu'udar vizaun husi Tessa Koppert, ne'ebé serbisu iha PNUD no ema ida entre UNV (Voluntáriu sira Nasoins Unidas nian) ne'ebé hola parte iha selebrasaun Loron Voluntáriu Internasionál tinan ida-ne'e iha Timor-Leste.
Eventu sira atu marka Loron Voluntáriu Internasionál hola fatin iha Dili, Baukau no Oekusi, foka ba ema foin-sa'e sira no promove Objetivu Dezenvolvimentu Miléniu (ODM). Jogu sira edukasionál, kuda ai-horis no kompetisaun arte sai nu'udar atividade balun ne'ebé hala'o. Iha mós kompetisaun diskursu públiku kona-ba voluntarizmu, ba estudante no membru sira Parlamentu Foin-Sa'e Timor-Leste.
Envolvimentu UNV iha Timor-Leste hahú iha molok konsulta populár ba independénsia iha fulan-Agostu tinan-1999. Hori tempu ne'ebá UNV ho totál liu ema na'in 3.000, husi nasionalidade liu 100, serbí nasaun ne'e. Timor-Leste nu'udar nasaun ida entre nasaun sira ne'ebé simu UNV barak tebes.
Josephine Calag mai husi Filipinas no sai nu'udar UNV iha Timor-Leste durante tinan ida ona. Nia serbisu nu'udar pesoál treinu iha UNMIT. Nia esplika tansá nia hetan inspirasaun atu sai voluntária:
"Bainhira ita sai voluntária, ita sei halo liu saida mak sai nu'udar ezijénsia iha ita-nia tarefa normál. Sinseridade ne'ebé la'o hamutuk ho voluntarizmu hakiak koneksaun ida forte ho povu ne'ebé ita koko atu ajuda. Atitude ida-ne'e hahú ho ita-nia maluk sira no família no depois habelar globalmente."
Atualmente iha UNV Internasionál na'in-127 mak serbisu ba UNMIT, no tan na'in-27 maka serbisu iha Ajénsia sira ONU nian. Dezde tinan-2004, ema nasionalidade Timoroan barak mós serve nu'udar UNV Internasionál, iha nasaun sira hanesan Afeganistaun, Burundi, Haití no Libéria.
"Espíritu voluntarizmu enkoraja komunidade sira atu serbisu hamutuk, tau matan ba ema sira fraku no otas-tuan. Ha'u iha orgullu ba saida mak ha'u atinje ona nu'udar voluntáriu ida iha Timor-Leste"; hateten Afrianto Kurniawan, ne'ebé husi Indonézia no serbisu nu'udar enjeñeiru bee no saneamentu iha UNICEF.
Organizasaun sira seluk iha Timor-Leste mós hala'o programa voluntáriu boot natoon, no hola parte iha selebrasaun iha findesemana liubá. Krús Vermella iha Timor-Leste (Cruz Vermella de Timor-Leste ka CVTL), iha maizumenus voluntáriu ativu na'in-100 iha nasaun ne'e. Agapito da Silva, husi CVTL Sukursál Dili, hateten katak voluntáriu nasionál sira-ne'e importante tebes ba nia organizasaun:
"CVTL nia serbisu s implementasaun hotu iha terrenu hala'o husi voluntáriu sira. Sira mak serbisu iha distritu sira, aumentu asesu ba informasaun kona-ba matéria sira hanesan edukasaun no saúde. Voluntáriu sira-ne'e ajuda daudaun atu hadi'ak ema nia moris iha sira-nia komunidade."
Programa UNV harii husi Asembleia Jerál Nasoins Unidas iha tinan-1970. Dezde tempu ne'e voluntáriu sira rihun ba rihun fó ona sira-nia kontribuisaun ba misaun Nasoins Unidas nian iha mundu tomak. Iha ninia mensajen ba Loron Voluntáriu Internasionál Sekretáriu-Jerál Nasoins Unidas, Ban Ki-moon, hateten:
"Voluntarizmu ajuda halibur ita hamutuk nu'udar indivíduu no sosiedade sira. Voluntarizmu nu'udar meiu potensiál hodi mobiliza segmentu hotu-hotu sosiedade nian nu'udar parseiru ativu atu harii mundu ida-ne'ebé di'ak liu. Mai ita fó ita-nia onra ba voluntarizmu nu'udar espresaun ida husi ita-nia umanidade komún no nu'udar maneira ida atu promove respeitu mútuu, solidariedade no resiprosidade."

*******