Flavia Pansieri, executive director of the United Nations Volunteers program, said people working online have expanded their roles from doing mostly translation work to tasks such as supporting local development organizations in funding issues and even the analysis of aerial photographs to determine the vulnerability of a community to natural disasters.

"This is a way to provide expertise without having to damage the environment by taking flights to and from the countries they are helping," Pansieri told The Associated Press during meeting in Budapest of the International Volunteer Cooperation Organizations, which represent some 30,000 volunteers on assignments around the world.

Pansieri said her aim was to increase the UNV's volunteers in the field from 7,500 now to around 10,000 by 2011 and to recruit hundreds of new online volunteers.

The global economic crisis has had a negative effect on volunteer work, but have also encouraged some people to step forward.

"We have seen a greater desire to help those who are less privileged ... and a growing interest in the contributions that one can make to peace and development," Pansieri said.

Pansieri stressed that, like the Peace Corps, her organization sets a limit on how long volunteers in the field can contribute to its projects.

"There is no such thing as a professional volunteer _ it is a calling, it's not a job," Pansieri said.

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On the Net:

http://www.onlinevolunteering.org

http://www.unv.org/en.html