Meanwhile, the millions of volunteers around the world already fully embrace them through their deeds. Volunteers are bold enough to stand for something. They put their hands and their minds, and most of all, their hearts at the service of others. And in doing so, they bring hope to those they help and can give them the strength to overcome their weaknesses. In turn, they are rewarded with the knowledge that they have truly made a difference.
Volunteers can help transform all our societies, for the benefit of all people.
But for this to happen, societies need to promote volunteerism as a valuable activity, and to facilitate the work of volunteers at home and abroad. We must also explore new avenues for volunteer action. In my Millennium Report, issued earlier this year, I announced the creation of a corps of volunteers to train groups in developing countries in how to use and apply information technology for human development. I hope many more will join. UNITeS Volunteers share the same qualities as the larger pool of UN Volunteers, the 4,500 professionals who serve in their country or abroad.