The protection of the human rights of refugees is a part of the “spirit of Rio”. As well as this, with environmental and security issues becoming increasingly intertwined, efforts to make a more peaceful and stable world are at the crux of the ideology behind creating a sustainable planet.
The West African country of Guinea borders Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, all of which are still recovering from recent conflicts. Wars in West Africa have led to over half a million people being displaced and have also created some 149,000 refugees. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been working on a project with other UN agencies and the Government of Guinea in order to facilitate the integration of refugees into the communities where they live in Guinea. These projects have had improved success thanks to the work of volunteers.
The disaster known as the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred at 2:46pm on 11 March 2011, with an epicenter located approximately 72 km off the Northeastern region of Oshika Peninsula in Japan. Almost 1 million volunteers helped in the recovery process after this disaster, which killed 15,852 people and left 3,287 people missing.
Courtesy of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
Volunteering is at the heart of community building. Volunteers will walk that extra mile as required and give freely of their time, skills, local knowledge and compassion. They care about their local development and are central to moving forward the agenda. Their participation in the decision-making process contributes to democratic ownership and increase accountability and responsibility in a country’s development. Volunteers are contributing toward building resilient communities in diverse ways.
Did you know that there’s an estimated 100 million of illegal garbage in the world? Waste is everywhere, in cities, forests, oceans and on beaches. This can be a discouraging reality. But a few determined volunteers have sparked a revolution. A civic movement no less. One that wants to rid the world of its garbage and at the same time educate the population on the importance of keeping the environment free of waste.
India has a population of over 1.2 billion people, making it the second most populated country in the world. While efforts to reduce poverty continue to grow and have improved the lives of many, the adverse environmental impact of combining such a large population with rapid economic and social development are inevitably felt across the nation. But Indians are not prepared to let their own development be at the expense of the planet, and efforts to improve their nation’s environmental impact are noticeably present. These efforts are not just at the policy level, but also involve corporations and people who give their time, knowledge and money to improve environmental conditions. A hugely successful example of this is the “My Earth My Duty” initiative, spearheaded by India’s 24 hour news and current affairs broadcaster, Zee News.