29 November 2002

Established in October 2000, the IYV National Committee in Egypt focused on promoting volunteerism and its benefits. IYV Events contributed to placing volunteer action in the spotlight, starting with the attention from mass media. The National Committee, together with United Nations Volunteer Programme (UNV) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) organised a media encounter, gathering major representatives from print and broadcasting agencies. Renowned writers such as Dr. Milad Hana, prepared articles, stating that volunteerism is a solution for youth unemployment. Not only did IYV manage to put volunteerism on the agenda of many NGOs, it also caught the eye of Government. The Ministry of Youth established units in their centers all across the country. The centers now promote youth volunteerism through different projects. Furthermore, stamps were issued to commemorate the Year.

Building on the momentum of IYV, UNV, together with the Center for Development Services and support of the Japanese government, organised a one-day workshop, gathering 26 participants representing 15 organisations/NGOs, Academia, the media and bilateral donors. The workshop provided grounds for a research proposal, which would explore the history of volunteer action in Egypt, identify motives for volunteerism and measure the economic contribution of volunteers within the country.

"It was a very productive working day. The research was improved with a number of suggestions, participants changed best practices, and everyone got a sense of ownership to this research," said Manuela Soler, UNV Programme Officer in Egypt. "We expect to implement the research [at] the beginning of next year, " she added.

One major outcome of the Volunteer Day Task Force (OVD TF) to organise the International Day of Volunteers. The Task Force comprises of partners including the Center for Development Services, the youth NGO Fat El Kheir, the Technical Office of Prof. Badrawi, Member of Parliament and UNV.

Volunteers will organise an exhibition with pictures and publications, aiming to raise awareness of volunteer action. Attendees will be able to visit the booths, converse with volunteers, sign in for events and learn about volunteerism, its spirit and potential for development. The event is expected to host between 500-1000 attendees and 20-40 organisations.

The ultimate goal of the International Volunteer Day is to make a significant contribution to development in Egypt through the enhancement of volunteer contribution - increasing the number of volunteers and organisations, fielding volunteers and networking with organizations that work with volunteers.

Many thanks to Manuela Soler for her contribution to this article. She can be reached at manuela.soler@undp.org