7,500 people commemorate Int’l Volunteer Day

A ceremony to commemorate International Volunteer Day will be held on December 7 at Hanoi University of Technology, co-organized by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV)...

A ceremony to commemorate International Volunteer Day will be held on December 7 at Hanoi University of Technology, co-organized by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV).

The event is an opportunity for Vietnamese and foreign volunteers to engage in cultural exchange and share experiences about voluntary activities for the development of the country.

Under the framework of the ceremony, various activities will take place, including a fair to display information and products of voluntary organisations and push-bike ride for environmental awareness through some routes in Hanoi.

A project to intensify volunteer activities for the growth of Vietnam, organised by the HCM Communist Youth Union Central Committee in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, will be promoted.

The project is scheduled to last for a 3-year period (2008-2011) at a total cost of US$1 million.

In addition, the UNV will support the establishment of the Vietnam Volunteer Information Resource Centre (VVIRC).

International Volunteer Day (IVD) was officially adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 17, 1985. Since then, the United Nations and other social organisations have joined with volunteers over the world in commemorating IVD on December 5.