TEDxYouth@BIS - Rosemary Kalapurakal - The transformative nature of volunteerism

Rosemary Kalapurakal was appointed Deputy Executive Coordinator of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in August 2013. Prior to joining UNV she served as Chief of the Policy and Operations Support Unit of the Regional Bureau for Europe and CIS / United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York (February 2011 -- August 2013). Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation. UNV contributes to peace and development by advocating for recognition of volunteers, working with partners to integrate volunteerism into development programming, and mobilizing an increasing number and diversity of volunteers, including experienced UN Volunteers, throughout the world. UNV embraces volunteerism as universal and inclusive, and recognizes volunteerism in its diversity as well as the values that sustain it: free will, commitment, engagement and solidarity.