An event organized by UN Development Programme’s “Assisting the government of Uzbekistan in the formulation and implementation of ICT for development policy” project (ICT Policy) and dedicated to International Volunteer Day was held at Westminster International University in Tashkent.  

The story of International Volunteer Day’s initiation is the following: in 1985 United Nations General Assembly has proposed to governments to celebrate International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development on the 5th of December annually. Since then each year on December 5th volunteers around the world organize different events. To make it clear, volunteers are those people who spend their spare time for the benefit of society.

To the event by ICTP on that day were invited students from a range of educational institutions who were interested in Information and Communication Technologies. Overall, 50-60 people participated in the event. IT Volunteers of ICTP were actively involved in the organizational process of International Volunteer Day. The agenda of the day included IT contests and quizzes which were alternated with presentations concerning volunteering service of ICTP, as well as other related subjects.

At the end of the event the winners of the contests and quizzes were rewarded with prizes and gifts from ICTP. Also, all the participants enjoyed volunteers’ musical performance dedicated to the event. The aim of the event was attraction into IT volunteering network of active and initiative youth interested and having skills in the field of ICT, willing to develop personally and professionally, and eager to volunteer for community.

It should be noted that one of the biggest and important initiatives of ICTP project is aimed at working with volunteers concerned with ICT (IT Volunteers). The project has been working with IT Volunteers for several years and has gained popularity among the universities of the republic and students themselves.

The overall aim of IT volunteering is divided into 3 important objectives:

∙    With the assistance of volunteers support those organizations that have no opportunities to improve their ICT skills

∙    Give the youth an opportunity to get involved in volunteerism and also facilitate the process of self-affirmation of young generation

∙   Stimulate expansion of local volunteering services