Frequently Asked Questions

What is V-Force India? What does it aim to achieve?

The objective of V-Force India is to encourage volunteerism by providing an opportunity for local volunteers to engage with the United Nations and enable them to contribute to sustainable development. V-Force India is created as a platform for community engagement, reaching out to people of all ages, backgrounds and skills and integrating them into a range of activities carried out by UN agencies in India. V-Force provides a nationwide online platform for volunteers to network, collaborate and promote volunteerism
Why should I join V-Force India?

V-Force India is a highly valued tool, engaging with reliable, enthusiastic volunteers that support them with short-term tasks and assignments. The V-Force comprises online volunteers who will conduct outreach activities either online, or in the field (in their communities) to support campaigns and conduct advocacy for assigned initiatives. By participating in the campaigns, a volunteer will receive a certificate from UNV India.
Is this a full-time opportunity? How much time will I have to dedicate per week?
What would be my duties as a V-Force India Volunteer?

V-Force India Volunteers will be engaged in campaigns designed by United Nations Volunteers and they would be performing the following tasks:
• Running and executing assigned online campaigns tasks
• Spread awareness about the importance of volunteering among your peers and in your community
• Creating a network of volunteers and stakeholders
• Social Media Campaign – Supporting UNV’s initiatives by bringing more followers, creating engagement through sharing, and following the strategies set by the team
• Conducting activities at your local society to bring awareness and action on the theme of the campaign
Can I volunteer from home?
What will be the eligibility criteria to receive the Certificate at the end of the campaign?
There are certain criteria which need to be fulfilled by the Volunteer mentioned below
- Registered yourself as an online volunteer at https://v-force.in
- You should be part of the campaign Google Classroom
- You should have completed all the assignments in a timely manner. (Please note that the quality of assignment will also be greatly considered while grading assignments and weak execution will not be accepted)
- You should have submitted the final report on or before the due date.
How should I contact the campaign organizing team?
I am not there on facebook and other social networks, is it fine?

It is suggested to be present on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms. For the campaign, we will be doing a lot of online discussions using social media. We also will be sharing information through google classroom, those who are not on social media can receive instructions from there too.
Will there be any further obligations as a part of V-Force India Volunteer?
Is There any WhatsApp Group for this campaign?

No, there is no official WhatsApp Group by UNV India to communicate. There might be a few Groups created by Online Volunteers itself but UNV India neither operates nor communicates from those groups and is not responsible for any kind of communication there. UNV_India will only communicate through Facebook Group and Google Classroom.
Will I get any monetary rewards?
Is it an internship?

No. This is not an internship and the online volunteer will not receive any internship letter. This is an opportunity to volunteer online with the UN Volunteers’ team. Applicants will be given a Certificate of Appreciation/Completion, after successfully completing and submitting all the assigned tasks, at the end of the campaigns.
Can I start later in the online volunteering program because of personal/professional obligations?
What is my identity in the V-Force Program?
Can I create banners and posters in the campaign?

UNV India strictly prohibits you to create any banner and poster with UN Agencies’ logos. For any such banner, prior approval from the UNV team is necessary. Violating this will lead to the cancellation of your membership from the V-Force network and may lead to a blacklist for future opportunities. Many times, you will be provided with resource materials in the campaign which you can freely use to promote and share with other people. You may create social media posts using the logos of V-Force, and campaign logos excluding any logo of the UN Agency.
Can I indulge in making personal contacts with other Online Volunteers?

Yes, the Online Volunteering program is a platform for individuals who want to create awareness about volunteerism. It is an open platform for those who wish to indulge in constructive work and exchange. However, no volunteer should impose himself/herself or his/her ideas over others forcibly or spam any other volunteer in any manner whatsoever. Any online volunteer found or reported as being a nuisance to any other volunteer/s in any manner will be ousted from all the concerned groups created for the campaign.
I do not have access to a desktop or a laptop. I am working through my phone. How do I edit PPT?

If you do not have access to a desktop or a laptop and if you can only work through your phone, then, you are suggested to download Google Classroom App in order to create (or recreate) your assignment/s effectively. However, it is suggested to use a laptop or desktop to be effective at work. We will only focus on your outcomes and not how you achieve them.
How will I submit my report?

During the whole campaign, we request you to keep taking photos and screenshots of your work and keep them in a folder on your personal google drive folder, later when we will share the reporting form with you, please share the link with us to assess the work that you have been doing to be eligible for a certificate.
Mandatory Instructions for V-Force?
- Please do not create any IEC material with your own logos
- V-Force is an Initiative of UNV India, all volunteers are designated as V-Force Volunteers (And Not UN Volunteer)
- Please communicate with the V-Force Team through Facebook Group post comments, Telegram Group, and Google Classroom Comments. Do not reach out to the team directly.
- Please help each other in understanding assignments in the comment posts. Especially experienced V-Force Volunteers who know the system.
- Whenever you feel confused, read the FAQ document, and if your question is still not answered from there, ask in Facebook comments or Telegram Group , we will add it in FAQ soon.
- We must adhere to the values of the United Nations: Integrity, Professionalism, and Respect For Diversity.
- It is our responsibility to work together as a team.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility Criteria to become a V-Force India Volunteer:

Any individual can apply for this opportunity. With a motivation to work as an advocate of volunteerism. The person should be fluent in the English language and must have a Gmail account, access to the internet, and a computer

Eligibility Criteria for Certification

V-Force India Volunteers will be eligible for a Certificate when they will be taking part in campaigns and completing the assignments. The following conditions are to be followed to be eligible for certification:

One should register themselves as V-Force India Volunteer at https://v-force.in
You should be added to the Facebook group of UNV India – https://www.facebook.com/groups/UNV.India/
One should complete the assignments of the campaign and submit the reports through Google Classroom. Extremely weak execution is not considered in the course of the evaluation and will not result in fetching a certificate.
Your work should reflect that you undertook the responsibility of promoting the assigned tasks i.e. promoting the spirit of volunteering, reaching out to others and creating awareness about the campaign’s mission. All these tasks can be performed through personal interaction and through social media networks.
Make sure required screenshots and images are shared so that our team can review and evaluate your performance. You can always go back to Google Classroom or Google Drive and review or upload the files in your google drive link Submitted by you.
You are required to fill the Final Feedback Form(Report) which will be shared at the end of the campaigns.

In order to clarify some doubts, we would also like to inform everyone about the following facts:

• This is an online volunteering opportunity and not an internship program.

• There is no limit to the number of certificates to be distributed. As mentioned above, all those who meet the given criteria will be presented with certificates.

Terms of Use for Volunteers

These are the Copyright and Terms of Use under which you may participate in the Volunteering Advocacy Platform administered by the UN Volunteers in India, that utilizes the Facebook Group and Google Classroom functionalities (collectively, the ”Platform”).

V-Force India Volunteers registered with the UNV Facebook Group, or otherwise, shall not be considered in any respect as being the employee, staff or agent of UNV or the United Nations.

Volunteers shall not be deemed in any respect as being a UN Volunteer and as such shall not benefit from this status.

Please read this carefully. If you do not accept the Copyright and Terms of Use stated herein, do not register in this Platform. By registering in this Platform, you are indicating your acceptance to be bound by these Copyright and Terms of Use.

I. COPYRIGHT NOTICE

None of the materials provided on this Platform may be used, reproduced, or transmitted, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme in India. Requests for such permission and further inquiries should be sent to the UNV India Facebook page via Facebook messaging.

II. WEBSITE USAGE

A. Definitions

‘Volunteer’ is an individual who has applied to be a part of the V-Force India Network initiated by the UN Volunteers in India. The ‘Volunteer’ is not entitled to any monetary benefits, incentives, or any other entitlements whatsoever, which are entitled to employees of UN Volunteers.

“Platform” is the combination of Facebook Group and Google classrooms customized by the UN Volunteers India to advocate for campaigns and assignments related to volunteerism.

B. General

Participation and registration in this network constitute agreement with the Terms of Use contained herein.
Unless expressly stated otherwise, the Volunteer-submitted Platform content reflects the submissions of the Registered Volunteers and does not necessarily represent the views of UNV.

C. Legal status

The Volunteer registered or otherwise, the Volunteer personnel and sub-Volunteers shall not be considered in any respect as being the employee, staff, or agent of UNV or the United Nations.
A V-Force India Volunteer shall not be deemed in any respect as being a UN Volunteer and as such shall not benefit from this status.
An Organization participating or registering in the Platform shall neither be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of UNV or the United Nations nor as a partnership with UNV or the United Nations.

D. Observance of the law

The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, shall comply with all laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations bearing upon the performance of its obligations under the terms of this Agreement.

E. Child labor

The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, represents and warrants that neither s/he, nor any of her/his suppliers is engaged in any practice inconsistent with the rights set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, including Article 32 thereof, which, inter alia, requires that a child shall be protected from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or to be harmful to the child’s health or physical mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

F. Mines

The Volunteer registered or otherwise, represents and warrants that neither she/he nor any of her/his suppliers is actively and directly engaged in patent activities, development, assembly, production, trade, or manufacture of mines or in such activities in respect of components primarily utilized in the manufacture of Mines. The term “Mines” means those devices defined in Article 2, Paragraphs 1, 4, and 5 of Protocol II annexed to the Convention on Prohibitions and Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects of 1980.

G. Disclaimers

1. UNV is only providing a venue Platform allowing volunteering activities to be agreed upon between the UNV and Registered Volunteers. This Platform acts as a venue for Organizations to post online volunteering opportunities, and for Registered Volunteers seeking online volunteering opportunities to post their applications.

2. UNV has not been involved in the actual arrangements between Registered Volunteers and Organizations and declines all liability regarding the relationship between those entities.

The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, agrees not to make any financial claims to other Volunteers and/or to UNV.

In addition, please note that there are risks in using the Platform, and the Volunteer, registered or otherwise, assumes all risks associated with dealing with other Volunteers, registered or otherwise, with whom s/he comes in contact through the Platform. UNV expects that the Volunteer, registered or otherwise, will use caution and common sense when participating in this Platform.

3. Because Volunteer authentication on the Internet is difficult, UNV cannot and does not confirm that each Volunteer, registered or otherwise, is who s/he claims to be. Because UNV does not and cannot be involved in Volunteer-to-Volunteer dealings or control the behavior of Volunteers on the Platform, in the event that the Volunteer, registered or otherwise, has a dispute with one or more Volunteers, registered or otherwise, the Volunteer releases UNV and its agents and employees from claims, demands, and damages actual and consequential, direct and indirect of every kind and nature, known and unknown, suspected and unsuspected, disclosed and undisclosed, arising out of or in any way connected with such disputes.

4. Content may contain inaccuracies or typographical errors. Content provided on this Platform is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including without limitation warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. UNV specifically does not make any warranties or representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any such Content. UNV periodically adds, changes, improves, or updates the Content on this Platform without notice. Under no circumstances shall UNV be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered which is claimed to result from participating in this Platform or its assignments, including without limitation, any fault, error, omission, interruption or delay with respect thereto. Use of this Platform is at Volunteer’s sole risk. Under no circumstances, including, but not limited to negligence, shall UNV or its affiliates be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages, even if UNV has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

5. The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, is responsible for her/his own communications and is responsible for the consequences of their posting. The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, specifically acknowledges and agrees that UNV is not liable for any conduct of any Volunteer, registered or otherwise.

6. This Platform may contain advice, opinions, and statements, communications of various Volunteers, registered or otherwise. UNV does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement, communication or other information provided by any Volunteer, registered or otherwise, or other person or entity. Reliance upon any such advice, opinion, statement, communication or other information shall also be at the Volunteer’s, registered or otherwise, own risk. Neither UNV nor its affiliates, nor any of their respective agents, employees, information providers or content providers shall be liable to any Volunteer, registered or otherwise, or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error, omission, interruption, timeliness, completeness, deletion, defect, failure of performance, computer virus, communication line failure, alteration of, or use of any content herein, regardless of cause, for any damages resulting therefrom.

7. UNV acts as a passive conduit for the online distribution and publication of Volunteer-submitted information and has no obligation to screen communications or information in advance and is not responsible for screening or monitoring material posted by Volunteers. If notified by a Registered Volunteer of communications which allegedly do not conform to these Terms of Use, UNV may investigate the allegation and determine in good faith and in its sole discretion whether to remove or request the removal of the communication. UNV has no liability to Volunteers, registered or otherwise, for performance or non-performance of such activities. UNV reserves the right to expel Volunteers, registered or otherwise, and prevent their further access to the Platform for violating the Terms of Use or applicable law and the right to remove communications which are abusive, illegal, or disruptive. UNV may take any action with respect to Volunteer-submitted information that it deems necessary or appropriate in its sole discretion if it believes it may create liability or embarrassment for UNV.

8. The Volunteer, registered or otherwise shall indemnify, hold and save harmless, and defend, at her/his own expense, UNV, its officials, agents, servants and employees from and against all suits, claims, demands, and liability of any nature or kind, including their costs and expenses, arising out of acts or omissions of the Volunteer, or the Volunteer’s employees, officers, agents or sub-Volunteers, in the performance of this Agreement. This provision shall extend, inter alia, to claims and liability in the nature of workmen’s compensation, products liability and liability arising out of the use of patented inventions or devices, copyrighted material or other intellectual property by the Volunteer, her/his employees, officers, agents, servants or sub-Volunteers. The obligations under this Article do not lapse upon termination of this Agreement.

9. This Platform may contain links and references to third-party websites. The linked sites are not under the control of UNV and UNV is not responsible for the contents of any linked site or any link contained in a linked site. UNV provides these links only as a convenience, and the inclusion of a link or reference does not imply endorsement of the linked site by UNV. If the Volunteer, registered or otherwise, decides to access linked third party websites, the Volunteer does so at her/his own risk.

10. This Platform may be used only for lawful purposes consistent with these Terms of Use. This Platform may contain bulletin boards, blogs, access to mailing lists or other message or communication facilities (collectively, “Forums”). The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, agrees to use the Forums only to send and receive messages and material that are proper and related to the particular Forum. By way of example, and not as a limitation, the Volunteer, registered or otherwise, agrees not to do any of the following:

a. Defame, abuse, harass, stalk, threaten or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as rights of privacy and publicity) of others.

b. Publish, post, distribute or disseminate any incomplete, false or inaccurate biographical or organizational information or information which is not the Volunteer own accurate resume or organization description or any defamatory, infringing, obscene, indecent or unlawful material or information.

c. Post any franchise, pyramid scheme, club membership, distributorship or sales representative agency arrangement or other business opportunity which requires an up-front or periodic payment, pays commissions only, requires recruitment of other members, sub-distributors or sub-agents.

d. Upload or attach files that contain software or other material protected by intellectual property laws (or by rights of privacy of publicity) unless Volunteer owns or controls the rights thereto or has received all consents thereof as may be required by law.

e. Upload or attach files that contain viruses, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of another’s computer, service to any Volunteer, host or network, or use any device, software or routine to interfere or attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Platform or any activity being conducted on this Platform, including, without limitation, via means of submitting a virus to any website, overloading, flooding, spamming, mail bombing or crashing.

f. Delete any author attributions, legal notices or proprietary designations or labels in any file that is uploaded or delete or revise any material posted by any other person or entity.

g. Falsify the origin or source of software or other material contained in a file that is uploaded.

h. Send unsolicited e-mail, advertise or offer to sell any goods or services, or conduct or forward surveys, contests, or chain letters, or download any file posted by another Volunteer of a Forum that Volunteer knows, or reasonably should know, cannot be legally distributed in such manner.

i. Violate or attempt to violate the security of the Platform, including without limitation (i) accessing data not intended for such Volunteer or logging into a server or account which the Volunteer is not authorized to access, (ii) attempting to probe, scan or test the vulnerability of a system or network or to breach security or authentication measures without proper authorization, or (iii) forging any TCP/IP packet header or any part of the header information in any email or newsgroup posting.

12. The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, acknowledges that all Forums are public and not private communications. Further, the Volunteer, registered or otherwise, acknowledges that chats, postings, conferences, emails and other communications by other Volunteers, registered or otherwise, are not endorsed by UNV, and such communications shall not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by UNV. UNV reserves the right for any reason to remove without notice any contents of the Forums received from the Volunteer, registered or otherwise, including without limitation email and bulletin board postings.

H. Country and area nomenclature; mention of companies or products

1. The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgment by UNV as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries. The designations “developed” and “developing” regions are intended for statistical and analytical convenience and do not necessarily express a judgment about the stage reached by a particular country or area in the development process.

2. The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of UNV.

I. Privileges and Immunities

Nothing herein or relating to this Agreement shall constitute or be considered to be a limitation upon or a waiver, express or implied, of any of the privileges and immunities of the United Nations, including UNV, which are specifically reserved.

J. Settlement of disputes

1. Amicable Settlement: Any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of this Agreement or the breach, termination or invalidity thereof shall be settled amicably. Where such an amicable settlement is sought to be done through conciliation, the conciliation shall take place in accordance with the UNCITRAL Conciliation Rules then obtaining, or according to such other procedure as may be agreed between the Parties.

2. Arbitration: Any dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of the Agreement or the breach, termination, or invalidity thereof, unless settled amicably, within sixty (60) days after receipt by one party of the other Party’s written request for such amicable settlement, shall be referred to arbitration in accordance with the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules then obtaining. The decisions of the arbitral tribunal shall be based on general principles of international commercial law. For all evidentiary questions, the arbitral tribunal shall be guided by the Supplementary Rules Governing the Presentation and Reception of Evidence in International Commercial Arbitration of the International Bar Association, 28 May 1983 edition. The arbitral tribunal shall be empowered to order the return or destruction of goods or any property, whether tangible or intangible, or of any confidential information provided under the Agreement, order the termination of the Agreement, or order that any other protective measures be taken with respect to the goods, services or any other property, whether tangible or intangible, or of any confidential information provided under the Agreement, as appropriate, all in accordance with the authority of the arbitral tribunal pursuant to Article 26 (“Interim Measures of Protection”) and Article 32 (“Form and Effect of the Award”) of the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. The arbitral tribunal shall have no authority to award punitive damages. In addition, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Contract, the arbitral tribunal shall have no authority to award interest in excess of the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) then prevailing, and any such interest shall be simple interest only. All Parties shall be bound by any arbitration award rendered as a result of such arbitration as the final adjudication of any such dispute, controversy, or claim.

K. Termination

1. UNV reserves its exclusive right in its sole discretion to alter, limit or discontinue the Platform or any Content in any respect. UNV shall have no obligation to take the needs of any Volunteer, registered or otherwise, into consideration in connection therewith.

2. UNV reserves the right to deny in its sole discretion any Volunteer, registered or otherwise, access to this Platform or any portion thereof without notice and terminate without cause this Agreement immediately at any time upon without incurring any liability whatsoever.

3. No waiver by UNV of any provision of this Agreement shall be binding except as set forth in writing signed by its duly authorized representative.

III. CHANGES TO THE COPYRIGHT AND TERMS OF USE

Volunteers should check this document periodically to review the Copyright and Terms of Use. UNV may, in its sole discretion, modify or revise these Copyright and Terms of Use at any time by updating this page. The Volunteer, registered or otherwise, agrees to be bound by such modifications or revisions.

Using or accessing this Platform indicates your acceptance of these Copyright and Terms of Use. If you do not accept these Copyright and Terms of Use, do not continue to use this Platform.