 |
Al-Ahram Weekly 27 April - 3 May 2000 Issue No. 479 
|
||
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
|
Al-Ahram Weekly 27 April - 3 May 2000 Issue No. 479
|
||
| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
| ||
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Special Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The human face of development
By Dahlia Hammouda
Today more than ever, voluntary service is being called upon to assume greater responsibilities in the development process. The importance of the contribution of the voluntary sector to national welfare and advancement was the focus of an annual two-day conference attended by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak. The Second National Conference of the General Union for Civil Societies and Institutions was held from 23 to 24 April. During the event, Omar Abdel-Akher, head of the union, presented Mrs Mubarak with the union's shield in recognition of her support of civil work in Egypt.
Mrs Mubarak began her speech by referring to the resolutions adopted by the World Summit for Social Development held in Copenhagen in 1995. She said the Copenhagen Declaration of Social Development and Programme of Action asserted the significance of social development and human well-being for all and the need to give these goals the highest priority in the 21st century.
At the United Nation's invitation, Mrs Mubarak said, heads of state and government gathered at the conference setting a framework for social development which primarily focused on combating poverty, tackling unemployment and providing basic needs to society.
"Creating the appropriate political, economic and social environment conducive to social development and upholding gender equality were also at the heart of the resolutions," she continued.
Mrs Mubarak spoke of Egypt's social development achievements. First, the establishment of the National Women's Council is a real turning point in the history of Egyptian women, she said. Second, the enactment of the new law governing non-governmental organisations represents an assertion of the importance of civil society's role. Finally, the new Personal Status Law is another significant achievement in Egypt's social scene, as it strengthens family ties, Mrs Mubarak said.
"The history of social work in Egypt goes back to the roots of Egypt's modern history," Mrs Mubarak said. But, she said, during recent years, an emphasis has been laid on the role of NGOs, which coincided with a similar international leaning.
"Suffice it to say that the UN has announced the year 2001 as the International Year of Volunteers and it is preparing for an international conference on volunteer work due to be held in Amsterdam next January," Mrs Mubarak said.
The idea for an International Year of Volunteers (IYV) to promote vital contributions by volunteers and to recognise their achievements arose within the UN system at a policy forum of the United Nations Volunteers programme (UNV) in Japan in 1996. The UNV was created by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1970 to serve as an operational partner in development cooperation at the request of UN member states. It is unique within the UN family as an international volunteer undertaking. It reports to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and works through UNDP's country offices around the world.
In November 1997, the UN General Assembly -- acting upon the proposal of the government of Japan -- proclaimed 2001 as the IYV. To prepare for the year, the UNV has been designated the international focal point. The IYV provides a unique opportunity to highlight the achievements of the millions of volunteers worldwide who devote part of their time to serving others and encouraging more people globally to engage in volunteer activity.
Among the most active organisations for IYV is the International Association for Volunteer Effort. Their biennial World Conference will be the earliest major gathering of the year, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in January 2001.
Mrs Mubarak called upon all of Egypt's civil society institutions to cooperate with the government and the private sector to contribute to the success of this important international event by working to spread awareness of its importance in schools, universities, youth centres and society's various institutions. "The aim is to direct all energies towards volunteer work, as Egypt needs all the effort and participation of citizens for its advancement," Mrs Mubarak said.
The conference concluded by adopting a number of recommendations announced by Abdel-Akher. Topping the list was an appeal to Egypt's business people to shoulder their full social responsibilities by supporting the projects of NGOs, thus enabling these organisations to fulfill their role in facing society's growing problems. The business sector was also called upon to fund the construction of information centres at the union, so that its research can be based on scientific and factual data.
Another recommendation was reinforcing the role of the press and media in the field of civil work and publishing a magazine, supervised by the union, to forge links between union branches in the different governorates and the various civil societies.
Primarily, NGOs, professional associations and civic organisations were asked to play a bigger role in the development process in general and in issues related to youth and children in particular.
For this to happen, there is a need for greater recognition and more facilities for volunteer work.
