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International Volunteer Day is sponsored by the United Nations Volunteer programme. This year's international event is Tuesday, December 5. This year's event is particularly noteworthy, as it also serves as the official launch of the International Year of Volunteers.

There are a number of ways volunteers can use the Internet on International Volunteer Day (or ANY one-day event of the year, for that matter):

 

• Identify causes you could support on or beyond December 5.

   
  

• Evaluate your readiness and motivations to volunteer, and connect with tools that can help you in a variety of volunteer tasks, on or offline, on International Volunteer Day, or any day!

   
  

• Introduce an agency you already support to virtual volunteering. Visit the Virtual Volunteering Project Web site, and learn how you can help an agency in your area involve online volunteers.

   
  

• Start Your Own Campaign to Support the International Year of Volunteers. The campaign officially launches on December 5. Add a link to your web site or within your e-mail signature for IYV 2001, contact your local volunteer center and find out how they will be supporting or celebrating the International Year of Volunteers, or write a letter to your local newspaper in support of volunteerism and IYV.

   
  

• Hold your own online Web design contest for a nonprofit organization that needs a Web site. AIR-Austin in Texas organizes volunteers on teams and build web sites for nonprofit organizations in ONE day; part of the contest is to make sure the sites are accessible for people with disabilities. The AIR-Austin event takes place in a computer training facility, but you could organize an online version with other online volunteers.

   
  

• Visit online databases of volunteering opportunities and sign up to help an organization or cause you believe in. You can look for face-to-face or online opportunities for December 5, a different day, or ongoing opportunities. Three of the most popular databases are:

  Impact Online/Volunteer Match

  Action Without Borders

  NetAid

  ServeNet

  There is also an index of all Web sites listing volunteer opportunities.

 
For information related to last year's International Volunteer Day, visit:

The International Volunteer Day Events in Zagazig, Egypt.