World Heritage Volunteers

The World Heritage Volunteers campaign is coordinated by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in cooperation with Coordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service CCIVS.

It aims to mobilize youth NGOs operating in the non-formal sector for World Heritage promotion and preservation through involvement in international voluntary work.

The project explores opportunities for a dynamic dialogue between volunteers and youth groups and heritage & education experts involved in the promotion and protection of the selected World Heritage sites. It demonstrates the merits of non-formal education as an approach to disseminate the heritage values and expertise to a large public and to young people in particular.

Each project is organized by a local youth organization or NGO. They determine the project goals and activities in collaboration with the partners (the local community, site management and local authorities and stakeholders), train work camp leaders and host international volunteers. Activities themselves are undertaken by young volunteers, aged 18 to 30 years, coming from different countries.

The youth action camps generally last between two to four weeks and accommodate between ten to thirty volunteer participants; they involve young people to undertake concrete action and to play an active role in the promotion and preservation of World Heritage.