Peace concert to celebrate International Volunteers Day

Volunteer for peace towards achieving millennium development goals

by Ranga Chandrarathne

Lit with a multitude of colours and hues, an otherwise dull Sugathadasa stadium looked very much alive as the United Nations Volunteers 'UNV' in Sri Lanka celebrated International Volunteers Day.

The peace concert held under the banner of Volunteer for Peace towards

 achieving Millennium Development Goalso embodied growing voluntarism in Sri Lanka and in the need to promote peace and ethnic harmony in order to achieve millennium development goals on an equitable platform.

In addition, to providing employment opportunities for youth in Sri Lanka, The UNV Programme in Sri Lanka promotes inter-cultural understanding, sustainable human resource development and poverty reduction in a true spirit of voluntarism. The celebration marked by the presence of the international community in Sri Lanka and their efforts to achieve peace through promoting inter- cultural understanding, sharing of knowledge on a common platform with the spirit of voluntarism.

Established in 1975, under the UNV Programme, altogether 96 volunteers representing 18 nationals are working in almost six provinces. These volunteers assist UN Agencies, the Government of Sri Lanka Institutions, non-governmental organisations and community based organisations. They support the work of UNHCR, UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, UNhabitat, and United Nations Office for Drug Control (UNODC) and a host

 of UN Agencies in Sri Lanka.

Another significant aspect of the programme was the inspiring message by the former Secretary General of the United Nation Kofi Annan in which he enunciated the need for voluntarism to address the gigantic challenges the world as a whole, faces and to make poverty, history, end hunger and to bring about development for all peoples.

Among the notable remarks that were made at the function, the US Ambassador in Sri Lanka, made and important presentation in which he stressed two aspects; that much of the present development in the United States of America was due to voluntarism at an early stage of Independence and the spirit of voluntarism which was eloquently articulated by the legendary President John F. Kennedy when he said, "Ask not what the country can do to you, but what you can do for your country".

The Ambassador requested the Sri Lankan youth to question themselves as to how they can make a difference to the country.

The Minister of Sports, Jeevan Kumaratunga said that the celebration coincided with the 50th Anniversary of the Edinburgh International Youth Awards. The peace concert reflects on voluntarism and the untiring efforts of Sri Lankan volunteers.

The National Youth Awards Authority in collaboration of UNV had successfully concluded two international youth camps to celebrate International Volunteers Day. The concert ended with a note endorsing peace and harmony within a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural atmosphere.