The Executive of the World Federation of Ukrainian Women’s Organization (WFUWO) extends warm greetings to all members of the Federation on the occasion of INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEER DAY.

At its 40th session in 1985, the UNITED NATIONS (UN) General Assembly invited Governments to annually observe December 5th as an international recognition of volunteers in the sphere of Economic and Social Development. Volunteers are those who give of their free time for the benefit of society. The
sphere of their activities is many and varied. The efforts of millions of volunteers who daily give of themselves to protect the disadvantaged, to overcome poverty, to provide assistance in disaster relief and to improve the environment, are greatly respected throughout the world.

The UN encourages Governments world-wide to implement measures to enhance the awareness of the importance of volunteerism, thereby encouraging more people to identify needs in the community that would benefit from their time and talents, in our homeland and abroad.

The UN Declaration of Volunteers states that volunteers have the right to dedicate their talents, time, energy, individual and collective actions, without expecting a reward. WFUWO volunteer participation in the UN, in the capacity of a non-governmental organization (NGO) in consultative status with the Economic and Social Council provides us the opportunity to address issues of importance and concern to the Ukrainian community and to all women around the world.

The WFUWO continues to nurture solid relationships with numerous International women’s councils and organizations. WFUWO volunteers have worked tirelessly in assisting Ukraine in its democratization process, fostering a sense of unity, maintaining historical continuity, and the preservation of the language and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people.

In recognition of the International Volunteer Day, we extend our most sincere gratitude to each and every volunteer in all of the 26 WFUWO member organizations across four continents, as well as all community volunteers, for their countless hours of selfless, dedicated, multi-faceted and vital contributions to the betterment of our world.

With warm regards,

Orysia Sushko
President

Alexandra Faryma
Secretary