5 December 2023- International Volunteer Day was established by the United Nations in 1985 and is held every year on 5 December. It is a day to celebrate, promote and shine a light on volunteering and to recognise the contributions skilled volunteers make to international development.
Australian volunteers have been an important and unique part of Australia’s development program for 65 years, with more than 17,000 Australians volunteering internationally in that time. Australian volunteers share their skills and support a diverse range of partner organisations. The Australian Volunteers Program plays a key role in building people-to-people links and is grounded in the knowledge that positive and sustainable change is driven by local people and local organisations.
The Australian Embassy is proud of the volunteers that have served in Palau and we recognise the important work they provide to the Government and people of Palau. Ms Petra Mahy is currently in Palau volunteering as a legal advisor in the Office of the Vice President and Ministry of Justice. Ms Mahy has assisted on a wide range of projects, including on gender-based violence, anti-human trafficking and data collection for Palau’s reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Volunteering in Palau has expanded my worldview. I now have a clearer sense of Palau, the Pacific and legal and development issues faced in small island developing states,” said Ms Mahy, “I look forward to learning even more over the remaining months of my assignment.”
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