Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities' President: We Seek Promoting Culture of Volunteering Across Arab Nations

The Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities (AFVA) will celebrate on Thursday the Arab Volunteer Day, which falls on Sep. 15 of each year.
The Federation was established on Dec. 3, 2003.
In an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), AFVA's President and Chairman of Al Ruwad for Voluntary Work Dr. Youssef Ali Al Kathim said that the Arab Volunteer Day, celebrated this year under the slogan 'Nations Rise through Volunteering,' contributes to achieving the vision of the AFVA in activating community participation by spreading the culture of volunteer work and supporting volunteer initiatives and projects,
He pointed out that this year's celebration will take place in Cairo and will have a special character. During the celebration, leading volunteer figures who have a direct impact on voluntary work in their countries will be honored, he said, adding that workshops, meetings, and visits to learn about volunteer experiences in the Egyptian cities of Ismailia and Cairo will also be conducted.
Dr. Al Kathim explained that as part of the celebration of the Arab Volunteer Day this year, preparations for the international volunteering license will be made. Additionally, there will be meetings with some international figures in the field of volunteer work to exchange ideas and experiences, he said, adding that the Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities has made a clear mark through its leaderships in Arab countries, as AFVA has been able to establish more than one training center.
AFVA's President emphasized that this year's slogan seeks to be among the priorities of all organizations at the level of the Arab world, in order to achieve the Federation's vision and goals, including spreading the culture of volunteer work throughout all Arab countries, developing preparation and training projects in the field of volunteer work, studying volunteer ideas and projects, and developing and marketing them.
Over the course of 20 years, the Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities has made many achievements over, whether at the central or field levels, which indicates the levels of success, he said, noting that the Federation aspires to further efforts from volunteers to achieve its goals that it set and worked to translate into an honorable reality.
Dr. Al Kathim underlined that the significant attention toward volunteer work from all nations, communities, and local, Arab, and international volunteer organizations reflects the victory of noble morals and values and harnessing human potential toward development and growth.
He said that the Federation celebrates annually the Arab Volunteer Day, which falls on Sep. 15 of each year, as an expression of its belief that volunteer work represents a fundamental pillar in building and instilling human and moral values in a way that enables individuals to make a tangible and sincere contribution to society. He noted that the AFVA's journey from its inception to the present has been marked by numerous achievements, including the establishment of training centers in Arab countries, holding monthly forums within the framework of volunteer work, issuance of the volunteer work permit, and the Arab Observatory for Voluntary Work. The social space for volunteer work has expanded with an increase in the number of volunteers, he added.
President Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities cited a prime example of volunteer achievements when volunteers working under AFVA's umbrella rallied to combat the COVID-19 pandemic through various significant events, that expressed their deep belief in volunteerism and its goals, noting that the Federation's success has led many volunteer organizations in Arab countries to seek joining it. The Federation is also keen to attract these organizations to lead Arab volunteer work, he added.
In 2003, the AFVA was established by a Qatari initiative and Doha was chosen as its headquarters in the founding meeting of the federation. It aims to achieve cooperation between voluntary bodies in the Arab world. The federation currently includes 18 Arab countries. (QNA