International Volunteer Day 2024: volunteers' contribution to global challenges

Volunteers confront some of the most significant challenges of our time—climate change, conflict, and inequality—with courage, dedication, and selflessness. This message serves as the foundation for the 2024 International Volunteer Day, an event established by the United Nations in 1985 and celebrated annually on December 5. This Day recognizes and values the contributions of millions of volunteers around the globe and it offers a chance to reflect on the vital role of volunteering as a means of promoting solidarity, inclusion, and sustainable development. This year, the focus is on highlighting how every individual who chooses to volunteer can be a crucial asset in achieving the global sustainability goals set by the United Nations.

Volunteering in civil protection. In Italy, approximately 300,000 civil protection volunteers are enrolled in over 8,000 active organizations operating nationwide to help safeguard communities and the environment. These volunteers are the backbone of the National Service, prepared and trained to collaborate within the Civil Protection System, starting from the prevention phase and continuing through the initial hours of an emergency. Specialization and training are essential for civil protection volunteers, ensuring their interventions' safety and effectiveness. Notably, the I don't take risks - good civil protection practices campaign has trained approximately 30,000 volunteers over the past 13 years, focusing on prevention and the importance of risk awareness.

In particular, in 2024, due to the ongoing bradyseismic crisis in the Phlegraean Fields, a training course on volcanic risk and bradyseism was organized for volunteers in the province of Naples. More than 500 volunteers participated in this initiative, which the Campania Region conducted in collaboration with the Civil Protection Department. The course aimed to strengthen their knowledge of these risks and improve civil protection planning and best practices.

On this important Day, the Head of Department, Fabio Ciciliano, wants to encourage volunteers with the following message: "Continue to enhance your skills through ongoing education to prepare for the future challenges affecting the entire National Service. These challenges include climate change, which demands significant efforts in prevention, and the technological revolution, which requires the constant updating of devices, tools, and equipment. In this context, younger volunteers can make a significant contribution by bringing new ideas, energy, and perspectives that foster innovation."