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International Year of Voluntery Work
Nada Abnadah
Her Royal Highness Princess Basma Bint Talal patronaged the National IYV2001 Steering Committee. This committee is a National IYV2001 Steering Committee, chaired by the UNDP Deputy Resident Representative, was established in order to organize and facilitate the activities of the Year.
The Steering Committee consists of members from the following parties:
· The Ministry of Planning
· The Ministry of Social Development
· The Ministry of Youth
· The Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development (JOHUD)
· The General Union for Voluntary Societies (GUVS)
· The University of Jordan
· UNICEF
· UN Resident Coordinator Unit
· UNDP
The Steering Committee currently meets on a weekly basis in order to ensure the smooth running of the activities and their preparations.
In Jordan, commemorations for the International Year for Volunteers (IYV) 2001 were set in motion on 12 December 2000 with a special Ramadan meal at an orphanage. Held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness, Princess Basma, the event was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with the help of twenty-eight energetic student volunteers from the University of Jordan. At the gathering, UNDP's Resident Representative, Costante Muzio, announced HRH Princess Basma had been named the Honorary Person for IYV 2001 for her active role in promoting social work and solidarity in local communities. Some sixty-five children at the orphanage were served hot iftar meals by the student volunteers and treated to an evening fun and games, which lasted well after the guests left.
Activities Carried Out to Date Under the IYV Banner:
On 7 June 2001, in observance of the IYV2001 and on the occasion of World Environment Day, the members of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) / Small Grants Programme (SGP) were awarded with special certificates in recognition of their invaluable
voluntary contributions to the cause of protecting the environment.
On the same day, the Arab Cultural Society organized a workshop entitled "Voluntary Work: Issues and Challenges". The workshop, carried out under the banner of the International Year of Volunteers, was held under the patronage of HE Minister of Social Development. Key speakers were invited to present papers and facilitate discussions on issues such as the definition of voluntary work and its components, challenges of voluntary work faced in the country, and the role of youth in voluntary work.
Planned Activities:
1) In an upcoming event, scheduled for 30 July 2001, the National Steering Committee is planning to organize a 1-day workshop under the patronage of HRH Princess Basma Bint Talal, Honorary Person of the IYV2001 in Jordan. The workshop will aim to raise
awareness about the benefits of voluntary work and ways of facilitating volunteers in the country. The workshop will target government ministries, governmental organizations, non-governmental organizations, and other relevant institutions in order to alert
them to the possibilities and benefits of involving volunteers in their work as well as highlighting their roles and responsibilities towards volunteers in order to ensure that both the organization and the volunteer gains the maximum benefit from the
experience.
2) In response to certain finding that came out of Jordan's first Human Development Report on Youth, which highlighted that the youth of Jordan feel marginalized and isolated, as well as the fact that there is a profound mismatch between education acquired in universities and colleges and skills required in the local market, the IYV Steering Committee plans to focus certain activities on the Youth of Jordan. Such activities include:
a) The promotion of the notion of volunteerism and community service among the youth at summer camps organized by the Ministry of Youth; and
b) The establishment of an electronic clearing-house, in the form of a web site and volunteer registration form, in order to promote volunteerism among individuals, groups, and organizations, facilitate the match between the supply and demand of volunteers
in the country, and increase opportunities for individuals, and especially youth, to gain work experience and build their skills and capacities for the future. The web site will allow volunteers to post their interests in voluntary work, as well as enable
organizations and institutions to post their needs for voluntary assistance. This activity will be implemented in cooperation with the Community Service Office at the University of Jordan.
3) Starting in the fall, The National Steering Committee has put in place a tentative schedule of activities, focusing on a specific theme for each month. Such themes include private sector and corporate volunteers, youth, education and training, literacy, poverty eradication, older persons, disabled persons, and so on. Various local partners will be identified to assist with the implementation of activities according to theme.
4) Another main area of focus for the National Steering Committee, and one that is essential for the success of achieving the aims of the IYV2001, is mobilization of the media. In this area, various activities are planned in order to increase recognition, raise awareness, and promote the notion of volunteerism and volunteer opportunities in the country.
HRH Princess Basma congratulates Al Tayeb Ahmad Al Zuwairi, the winner of the 2002 Jordanian Volunteer of Year Award. Al Zuwairi was responsible for the construction of a community centre among other projects in his village of Al Maqariyah. The retired headmaster said, 'life was hard here before we built the centre, particularly for women and children.