An event was held in Colombo on the evening of Wednesday, November 30, to mark the International Volunteer Day.
The event, which was organised by UN Volunteers, was attended by youth, both local and foreign, representing several volunteer organisations.
The event was graced by UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Una McCauley.
Director of News 1st, Roshan Watawala also attended the event as a panelist,where a discussion, and question and answer session was held on National Dialogue.
UN Resident Coordinator/ UNDP Resident Representative Una McCauley said that volunteerism is a basic expression of human relationships and that it is about our need to participate and to reach out to others.
He went on to note that he thinks in Sri Lanka, volunteerism is deeply-rooted in traditions and in customs and in religious beliefs, and that in the country, at the moment 63% of those people who are engaged in volunteerism earn less than Rs.30,000 a month. So, those who volunteer in Sri Lanka, like those who volunteer everywhere else in the world, are not people who have loads of spare time and loads of money.
“They are ordinary people who understand the need for solidarity”, he added, “And 8% of Sri Lankan volunteers suffer from chronic illness or disability. These are things that we must bear in mind as we think about what the spirit of volunteerism is”.
He also said that he would say that Sri Lanka has been a joy and a pleasure everyday to see how many people give up their time to serve one another.
The International Volunteer Day, which was mandated by the UN General Assembly in 1985, is held each year on December 5.
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