International Volunteer Day (IVD) on 5 December was designated by the United Nations in 1985 as an international observance day to celebrate the power and potential of volunteerism

It is an opportunity for volunteers, and volunteer organisations, to raise awareness of, and gain understanding for, the contribution they make to their communities. It is also viewed as a unique chance for volunteers and organisations to celebrate their efforts, to share their values, and to promote their work among their communities, non-governmental organisations (NG0’s), United Nations agencies, government authorities and the private sector.

On 5 December, people around the world will celebrate IVD with rallies, parades, volunteer fairs, group clean ups, blood donations, conferences, exhibitions, fundraising, workshops and volunteer recognition events.

International Volunteer Day (IVD) 2018, “Volunteers build Resilient Communities”, recognizes volunteers worldwide – with a special focus on local community volunteers – who contribute to making their communities more resilient against natural disasters, economic stresses and political shocks. The campaign theme combines the recognition of volunteers with concrete evidence from the State of the World’s Volunteerism Report (SWVR) 2018.

#IVD2018 focuses on the values of volunteerism through the appreciation of local volunteers, including the marginalized groups and women, who make up nearly 60 per cent of volunteers worldwide, and their impact on building #ResilientCommunities.