During his sponsorship of the "Second International Conference for Excellence in Social Work" .. Humaidan stresses the importance of developing volunteer work towards professionalism in the service of
06-10-2019
Under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Labour and Social Development, Mr Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan, the Second International Conference on Excellence in Social and Voluntary Work convened from 5 to 7 October under the theme “Social Work: Measuring Impact and Achieving Sustainability.” Organised by the Bahrain Voluntary Work Society in cooperation with the Princess Seetah bint Abdulaziz Award for Excellence in Social Work Foundation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the conference gathered NGOs and delegates from the Kingdom of Bahrain, GCC states, and a number of Arab and European countries. Attendees included His Highness Prince Saud bin Fahad bin Saud Al Kabeer, Member of the Board of Trustees and Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Foundation; His Highness Prince Salman bin Mohammed bin Faisal Al Saud, Member of the Board of Trustees and Member of the Executive Committee; Dr Fahd bin Hamad Al Maghlouth, Secretary‑General of the Foundation; and Mr Abdulaziz Rashid Al Sanadi, Chairman of the Bahrain Voluntary Work Society. The programme brought together a distinguished group of specialists and academics in social work to enrich the volunteer experience, enhance development mechanisms, and professionalise practice. Through specialised workshops, participants examined how to measure the impact of social and development programmes implemented by civil society organisations and how to translate evidence into sustainable outcomes for communities. In a speech delivered on his behalf by the Assistant Undersecretary for Community Development, Khalid Abdulrahman Ishaq Al Kooheji, Humaidan underscored the strategic importance of volunteer work in advancing society. He noted that Bahrain’s hosting of this international forum reflects the Arab world’s wealth of human potential capable of elevating civil social work, and welcomed the Foundation’s partnership as a continuation of the values championed by Her Highness Princess Seetah bint Abdulaziz—may God have mercy on her—in embedding a culture of social, charitable, humanitarian and volunteer work. Humaidan hailed the theme of this year’s conference for its importance in assessing the impact of volunteer efforts on society and development. Such assessment enables NGOs to formulate their programmes accordingly, advancing volunteer work towards greater professionalism in execution. He also encouraged supporters of social responsibility programmes to fund NGO programmes in the social field. In this context, he highlighted the Kingdom of Bahrain’s experience with the Financial Grants Programme for NGOs. In 2006, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development adopted a new approach to financial grants, shifting from simple subsidies and assistance to targeted support for development projects that deliver real, tangible contributions to societal progress. These projects are evaluated by a specialised academic jury and financed through the Civil Social Work Fund, established within the framework of community partnership with the private sector. For his part, Dr Fahd bin Hamad Al Maghlouth emphasised that this second edition of the conference seeks to achieve a qualitative shift in social services, noting the determination to continue the path of social work to realise the Sustainable Development Goals. Mr Abdulaziz Rashid Al Sanadi stated that the Bahrain Voluntary Work Society is keen to diversify its activities, programmes and events to contribute to societal advancement, expressing appreciation to the Princess Seetah bint Abdulaziz Award for Excellence in Social Work Foundation for its support, partnership and sponsorship in organising the conference. Al Sanadi also thanked His Excellency, the Minister of Labour and Social Development, for his patronage. During the conference, the deputy sponsor, Mr Khalid Abdulrahman Ishaq Al Kooheji, toured the accompanying exhibition, which showcased distinguished civil society organisations in social and volunteer work from Bahrain and other Gulf and Arab countries. He also honoured the conference speakers.