Kingdom of Bahrain Bahrain Celebrations the International Volunteer Day
03-12-2019
The Kingdom of Bahrain joins the international community in marking International Volunteer Day on 5 December each year, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly as “International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development”. The Day highlights the efforts of volunteers worldwide in furthering the United Nations Development Programme’s goals for peace and development. Volunteering is a hallmark of social development and an indicator of self‑motivating energies capable of giving and growth. Volunteers—whether joining civil society organisations, serving individually, or operating within self‑organised teams—constitute a driving force for the economy by supporting education, training, healthcare, environmental stewardship, and services for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. On this occasion, His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, affirmed Bahrain’s long record of voluntary humanitarian action. Bahrainis were among the first in the Gulf to organise social charitable work and to pioneer volunteer initiatives in education, health, the environment and other social services. Bahrain remains active in the voluntary sphere at home and abroad. Today, organised voluntary work is a valued support and parallel sector across public and private institutions alike. The Kingdom is home to more than 600 voluntary NGOs operating across over 30 social, professional and scientific fields. The voluntary private sector services span all facets of social and economic life, from education and training to family, childhood and youth care, rehabilitation of special‑needs groups and persons with disabilities, senior‑citizen care, environmental protection, human‑rights advocacy, and the safeguarding of workers and professionals. With an average of around 50 members per organisation, there are approximately 30,000 volunteers affiliated with NGOs implementing ongoing or time‑bound development projects. This voluntary corps represents an economic and social force by virtue of the human resources mobilised, the projects and activities delivered, the job opportunities supported, and the beneficiaries served. Observing International Volunteer Day incentivises broader community participation, policy measures that encourage and expand volunteering, and recognition of volunteers’ essential role in local development. Volunteering has become a way of life in Bahrain, reflected in sustained government action and cooperation with governmental, private and civil society organisations to promote a culture of volunteerism and extend volunteer services to most segments of society. This collective endeavour has elevated the Kingdom’s profile in charitable voluntary work at local, regional and international fora, underscoring Bahrain’s firm belief in the importance of this field and its full support for it and its practitioners.