Doha, September 14 (QNA) - The Arab Federation for Voluntary Activities (AFVA) will celebrate on Monday the Arab Volunteer Day, which falls on Sep. 15 of each year.

In this context, AFVA President Dr. Yousuf Ali Al Kathim said in a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) that the Arab Volunteer Day, which is being held this year under the slogan Volunteering is the Pulse of Life, will be hosted in Cairo from Sep. 14 to 17, with the participation of 19 Arab countries in a celebration that is exceptional this year in terms of the scale of participation, diversity of projects, and programs dedicated to honoring Arab figures who have left a clear mark on their societies.

He pointed out that the celebration program will include the launch of the 'artistic touch...for the age group' under the slogan of Youth Creating Development, directed at the youth category from 20 to 35 years, to reduce unemployment between the less educated groups, where the project presents a group of various professions that suit both genders, through coordination with a number of training centers, as it opens new opportunities for integration into the labor market.

The AFVA President added that the celebration will mark the completion of the Short Story project for the second consecutive year, targeting 10-17-year-olds to encourage emerging literary talents and develop young people's abilities to express human and national values through literary creativity. The project's results will be announced on Dec. 5, on the sidelines of the celebration of International Volunteer Day (IVD).
He explained that during the celebration, a number of cooperation agreements will be signed between the AFVA and various Arab entities, in addition to organizing visits on the sidelines of the celebration to enhance knowledge exchange and volunteer experiences. Participants in the International Certificate in Crisis and Disaster Risk Management course, which lasted for more than two months and resulted in 25 Arab projects addressing environmental challenges, natural disasters, and climate crises, will also be honored. A special book summarizing these projects has been prepared. Furthermore, the Dr. Kazem Nouri Al-Douri Award, a founding member of the AFVA, will also be launched, and its conditions and participation mechanism for both individuals and institutions will be announced.

Dr. Al Kathim said that the great interest in volunteer work by all nations, communities, and local, Arab, and international volunteer organizations is an expression of the triumph of good morals and noble values, and the mobilization of human capabilities towards construction and development.

He affirmed that the Federation is keen to celebrate this day annually, which falls on Sep. 15 of each year, as an expression of its belief that volunteer work represents a fundamental pillar in building, preparing, and consolidating human and ethical values that enable people to effectively and seriously contribute to building society, pointing out that the federation's journey from its founding to the present time has been full of achievements, in addition to the expansion of the social space for volunteer work, represented by the increasing number of volunteers.

The AFVA President said that the Federation has implemented numerous programs and activities over the course of its 22-year history. The AFVA has organized the Future Volunteers Forum, as well as youth camps and conferences across the Arab member states, embodying the national identity of youth and promoting the culture of volunteer work, which now represents a significant and distinctive effort in the advancement of nations and the elevation of society.

The AFVA was established by a Qatari initiative in 2003, with Doha selected as its headquarters during the founding meeting. The Federation aims to achieve cooperation between volunteer organizations in the Arab world and currently includes 19 Arab countries. (QNA)