It’s official: Volunteering is cool! Yes it is, but it is much more than that. Marking International Volunteer Day 2011, UNV, local CSOs and volunteers across Bosnia and Herzegovina demonstrated how volunteers and volunteering are contribute to enhancing the lives of individuals and futures of communities in BiH.

As importantly, volunteering and civic engagement continue to enable young people in BiH to make new social connections and gain new skills and experiences which serve to improve their chances of securing employment.

International Volunteer Day 2011 was celebrated in a myriad of ways from community level activities, parades, workshops, ‘volunteer of the year’ ceremonies to IVD photo exhibitions, reflecting the diversity of volunteers and volunteering across the country – and our globe. 

December 5th, 2011 also set the stage for an important new chapter for volunteers and volunteering in the country as the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina formally entered its Law on Volunteering into formal parliamentary process.

Together with its many partners, the UNV programme in Bosnia and Herzegovina looks forward to continuing to realize the goal of a supportive legislative framework and social environment for volunteering and civic engagement in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2012 and beyond.