"Let's commit to peaceful communities in Madagascar"

In 2024, the United Nations in Madagascar initiated one of its most ambitious volunteer recruitment drives, enlisting 32 UN Volunteers to promote peacebuilding and social cohesion within their communities. All volunteers were Malagasy nationals. Among them—five UN Volunteer Specialists in Social and Behaviour Change and 24 UN Community Volunteers collaborated with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and three university students served as UN Volunteers with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Despite their diverse roles, all 32 shared a common goal: they were animators ready to drive positive change from the ground up.

Youth, which represents the majority of Madagascar's population, is both a challenge and an opportunity for peacebuilding amidst social, economic, and cultural tensions. UN Volunteers came together under the IRF-Tanora project aimed at equipping young academics and community members to become leaders of change through conflict management and leadership training. The project sought to prevent conflict and strengthen social cohesion in urban communities prone to tensions, particularly in universities.

Young people between the ages of 15 to 35 and local authorities were part of this peacebuilding effort implemented by UNICEF, UNDP, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). They designed awareness campaigns that ran in the cities of Antananarivo, Toamasina, and Antsiranana. The goal was to expand the skills of young people to develop constructive and sustainable responses to conflicts that emerge in their environments.

Young volunteers became part of the solution, whether it was through creative designs to raise awareness or interactions between local authorities and communities. Their visuals became the face of an awareness campaign in streets, markets, and public spaces to counter racial tensions among different groups.

Working closely with the Ministry of Youth, local authorities and fokontany chiefs, UN Volunteers made sure their efforts were deeply rooted in the ground realities. They trained almost 100 young community leaders, completed over 40 community dialogues, and brought to fruition more than 70 action plans aimed at strengthening peace and social cohesion across 52 fokontany. (Fokontany is an administrative sub-division). 

Beyond a structured approach, the volunteers inspired over 1,200 young people in communities to promote peace via local initiatives. Additionally, they mobilized more than 4,000 new U-Reporters, connecting young voices to a digital platform designed to highlight the perspective of youth. 

The service of the community volunteers focused on a shared commitment: "Let’s commit together, let’s strengthen our community through volunteering."

This commitment was the central theme of International Volunteer Day 2024, emphasizing collective responsibility and community-driven local initiatives. At the same time, Madagascar celebrated the 10th anniversary of its National Volunteer Day.

Through this awareness campaign, young people rallied across neighbourhoods and university campuses with a powerful message: volunteerism isn't just an action—it's a movement that needs everyone's involvement.