In the Central Park of Tegucigalpa, capital city of Honduras, the power of volunteerism was celebrated on December 5 at the foot of the statue of the great Central American statesman, Francisco Morazán.

The problems facing our world are vast and complex, ranging from conflict resolution and peacemaking to the alleviation of poverty and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. To tackle them, all must work together: governments, international organizations, the private sector, and civil society.

This was the message of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in this year's announcement of the International Day of Volunteerism for Development, December 5. He stated that "volunteers play an indispensable role in these efforts."

With the aim of generating opportunities for citizens to engage in volunteerism and informing the public about the necessity and benefits of volunteerism as a tool to combat social exclusion and poverty, more than 25 organizations distributed information about their volunteer programs in Honduras. A photo exhibition on volunteerism also generated a lot of interest.

UPF-Honduras joined in promoting activities linked to the UN Millennium Development Goals and strategies for poverty reduction through human development, community work, humanitarian assistance in cases of natural disaster, and improving living conditions for people in both rural and urban communities.

The Journal Herald, a newspaper with a wide national distribution, also promoted volunteer opportunities.