Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Volunteers in Nigeria support efforts to address female genital mutilation and gender-based violence.
United Nations Volunteers - Building the future, one assignment at a time
Young people are one of the world's greatest untapped forces for change.
Through the (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵV) assignments, they are supporting communities, strengthening peace, responding to crises and helping advance the Sustainable Development Goals. They bring fresh perspectives, bold ideas and the willingness to act where it matters most.
The future is not something they are waiting for. It is something they are building.
We asked Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵV five questions to learn why investing in young volunteers is investing in a better future for everyone.
Why are young people key to building lasting peace?
Because they build trust where it starts¡ªin their own communities. As , young people are mobilizing their peers, responding to crises, promoting dialogue, and tackling local challenges. From Nigeria to Ukraine, they are proving that lasting peace isn¡¯t imposed from above; it is built through local community action.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Volunteers in Peru work with local vendors and support digital finance solutions.
What¡¯s the one key thing that young people are doing today that gives you hope for peace?
Today, young people are listening, creating safe spaces where community members can seek support without fear of judgment. As seen in Maiduguri, Nigeria, where , two young Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Volunteers, work with women, girls, men, and boys in displacement camps on sensitive issues such as female genital mutilation, early marriage, gender-based violence, and sexual and reproductive health. They¡¯re changing deeply rooted social norms with conversations many people avoid.
In T¨¹rkiye, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Volunteers work with refugee and displaced children to provide quality education and access to basic human services.
If you could bust one myth about youth, what would it be?
Myth¡ªyoung people are the leaders of tomorrow. The future is not something young people are waiting for. Stepping into the toughest challenges and proving that age is no barrier to leadership. They¡¯re bringing new ideas, local knowledge, and relentless determination to the places that need it most¡ªand they¡¯re doing that today.
Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Volunteers contribute to the ongoing humanitarian and recovery efforts in Ukraine.
Finish this sentence: Youth are powerful because¡
Youth are powerful because they maintain stability when insecurity threatens daily life. In the , 22-year-old Angel Bapendi, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Volunteer mobilizes networks of young people to lead health awareness campaigns¡ªsuch as polio vaccination¡ªin bustling local markets, and, doing so, builds community trust.
What is a ¡®youth superpower' you've witnessed firsthand, where and how?
Youth superpower was reflected across during the Against Gender-Based Violence campaign. Hundreds of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Volunteers brought together communities through school outreach, public discussions, digital campaigns, theatre performances, and dialogues aimed at challenging harmful practices and promoting gender equality. We call this superpower: Believers of Change.
Join the Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World¡ªa movement led by young people in partnership with the United Nations.