Lebanon

International Volunteer Day IVD

International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (IVD) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 40/212 on 17 December 1985. Since then, governments, the UN system and civil society organizations have successfully joined volunteers around the world to celebrate the Day on 5 December.

IVD provides an opportunity for volunteer organizations and individual volunteers to work together in projects and campaigns bringing added visibility to their contributions to economic and social development at local, national and international levels. Over the years, rallies, parades, community volunteering projects, environmental awareness, free medical care and speeches by high-ranking government officials has all featured prominently on IVD.

Since the spirit of the IVD must live on and on, and since the IVD should be a day that never ends, the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme in Lebanon celebrates every year the IVD through many activities. To check IVD around the World, click here.

IVD 2008 - Going "Green" on the International Volunteer Day

Sunday 14th December 2008 wasn't an ordinary day for the village of Damour, damaged by forest fires last summer. Starting early in the morning, a number of National UNVs and around 200 volunteers from all over lebanon, gathered around in this village of Lebanon to celebrate the "International Volunteer Day".

They  planted 1000 trees provided by the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC), under the high patronage and with the presence of H.E Minister of Social Affairs Dr. Mario Aoun and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Country Director Mr. Seifeldin Abbaro.

 "For the first time, we get the chance to work with other volunteers from different backgrounds on the same goal: planting trees in areas threatened by forest fires", said Bassam Hodrouj, a young volunteer.

Selected by the Unit of volunteerism in the Ministry of Social Affairs, the volunteers from different ages and associations divided themselves into groups in order to plant the trees on the sideways of the village.

Samer, a twelve years old volunteer expressed his joy in sharing this day with friends and other NGOs members. "This is my first activity as a volunteer, and it helped me realize that even young people can help their own country and preserve nature", he said.

"Today, we feel that we are playing an effective role in the society, especially that we are planting trees in this village which was severely damaged by forest fires this summer. Volunteerism is all about working on making a better world", added Mustapha el Ashi, a scout volunteer.

The Lebanese Minister of Social Affairs, H.E Dr Mario Aoun participated in this activity as well and planted a number of pine and olive trees, stressing on the importance of volunteerism in restoring the green environment of Lebanon.

According to Mr. Abbaro, this activity enhances volunteerism and aims to preserving the green areas in Lebanon already damaged by forest fires last summer.

As for Mr. Mahmoud Kdouh, Head of the Volunteerism Unit in the Ministry of Social Affairs, the participation in the International Volunteer Day (IVD) is a step towards social development. "Volunteerism raises awareness on the importance of the environment and on the responsibility of young people to protect it".

Finally, and as the Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki Moon highlighted in his message on International Volunteer Day, " the cultural form and definition of a volunteer may change depending on circumstances, but the underlying principle never wavers: every individual can make a difference in society".

By celebrating the International Volunteer Day, these Lebanese volunteers definitely made a difference in the Damour village, in their country and without doubt in their lives.

Click here to view IVD 2008 Photo gallery

IVD 2005 – "International Year of Sports and Physical Education"

In line with the recommendations of the report from the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Sport for Development and Peace, the UNV programme in Lebanon decided to join forces with the American University of Science and Technology (AUST) to organize a fund raising "Sports for All" day at their campus in Saida commemorating the conclusion of the International Year of Sport and Physical Education 2005, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly.

The event took place on Sunday the 11 th of December 2005 and included various sports activities and a mini-football league. The day started off by opening speeches by a member of the Lebanese Down Syndrome Association (LDSA) board, the President of the Parliamentarian Committee for Youth and Sports MP Ibrahim Kanaan, AUST's President Mrs. Hiam Sakr and UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator Dr. Mona Hamman. The speeches highlighted the importance of volunteerism and sports and their impact on development causes. The invitees went around the games, that were managed by the volunteers, after cutting the ribbon and the fair was opened to the public. Various fun and challenging games were available, many activities and competitions were going on at the same time: chess, darts, ping-pong, street ball, and rope pulling to name a few. Mobilized volunteers by the UNV programme and AUST formed a team to play a friendly wheelchair basketball game against Saida's professional wheelchair basketball team "Al Sadaka". After a long fun day, AUST's students performed a street dance sketch, which they have prepared for the event, and the AUST's basketball team performed a great breath taking show by jumping on trampolines and scoring dunks in their own unique styles. A magician brought the event to its closing ceremony where all the families and the attendees were astonished by his performance when he actually hypnotized a child from the audience.

During one week prior to the event, the volunteers mobilized by the UNV programme and the students of AUST, raised funds for the Lebanese Down Syndrome Association and their families. As the day closed in, the total amount raised was announced and the money delivered to the association.

The expected results from this event were reached:

• Awareness was raised amongst the volunteers and the public about Down syndrome.
• Persons with Down syndrome and their families were actively involved in the sports activities and realized the benefits of volunteerism and sport and how they can contribute to development causes.
• The volunteers felt rewarded by realizing that they can make a difference in other people's lives.

Click here to view IVD 2005 Photo gallery

The United Nations Volunteers organized a ceremony under the auspices of H.E. Minister of Social Affairs on the 6 th of December 2004 at the UN House.

Dr. Mona Hammam, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Mohamad Kdouh, Director of the Volunteers Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs representing the Minister, delivered speeches in the presence of a big number of local and international volunteers who participated in spreading out the volunteers work in several fields.
During the ceremony, two categories of volunteers were honored (brochures to be scanned) for their contribution to supporting Human Development through volunteerism. In addition, a series of activities were announced to be held in Akkar (North Lebanon) and Hammana ( Mount Lebanon) and included the following:

1. Reforestation of a burnt forest in Ein Yakoub, Akkar, on 5th December. Photos

2. Display of a play entitled "Illusion" at the theatre of the Catholic National School, Sheikh Taba, Akkar, on 4th December. Photos

3. Display of "Ibtissam's" film on poverty in North Lebanon, followed by discussion with students, Harar High School, Akkar, on 7th December.

4. Community Millennium Development Goals activity in Hammana and Akkar on 18th and 19th December.

5. Roundtable MDG # 8:

A roundtable on "Partnerships for Development: MDG#8" was held on 8 December 2004 at the United Nations House on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day (IVD) and within the context of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) advocacy campaign organized by the United Nations System.

Various representatives of key stakeholders from the Ministry of Economy and Trade, the donor community, embassies, NGOs, media, the private sector, and UN agencies gathered and exchanged ideas. They focused on how to contribute at a local level to the achievement of MDG#8, namely to "Develop a Global Partnership for Development", through building Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs).

Zena Ali-Ahmad, Programme Manager at UNDP, introduced the main concept of MDG #8 and its relevance to the UN system's work in Lebanon, she stated "the United Nations system is committed to the Millennium Declaration and has embraced the Eight Millennium Development Goals as the blueprint for its work in economic and social development in the coming decade. These goals can be achieved by 2015 only through dynamic and innovative partnerships between the United Nations and other international institutions, national, and local governments, the private sector and the broad spectrum of civil society organizations".

During his presentation on "Creating an Enabling Environment for Partnerships in Lebanon", the UNDP Project Manager, and Advisor to the Ministry of Economy and Trade, Rabih Mattar stressed the ministry's commitment to achieving this goal and to building partnerships with civil society and private sector organizations towards its achievement.

The General Coordinator of the Lebanese NGOs network, Kamel Mohanna addressed the audience by giving an NGO perspective on partnerships. Similarly a member of the board of the Lebanese Businessmen Association (RDCL), Fouad Zmokhol presented the private sector's view on this issue. In addition to discussing the principles, benefits and limitations of multi-stakeholders partnerships, Mohanna and Zmokhol both confirmed their commitment to achieving this MDG and provided recommendations on how it can be realized locally through the development of PPPs.

Following the above-mentioned presentations, Corporate Social Responsibility Specialists from the United Nations Volunteers Support to the Promotion of Local Governance Project synthesized the views presented and recommended effective ways to overcome some of the imitations hindering the development of such partnerships in Lebanon.

After a lively discussion, members of the audience were encouraged to take these recommendations a step forward, by engaging in partnerships that support the achievements of MDGs.

Click here to view IVD 2004 Photo gallery

To celebrate the International Volunteer Day and the National Tree Day, the UNV has organized a volunteer activity at Badghan, Mt. Lebanon on Saturday, 6 th of December 2003.

The UNV programme in Lebanon mobilized a team of volunteers to plant around 1000 pine, cypress and other conifers on an area of about 11.000 m 2 in a small village called Badghan in Mount Lebanon, approximately 35 kilometers from the Lebanese capital on the 6th of December, the National Tree Day. The team consisted of 250 volunteers from different parts of the society: Students from seven universities, private sector (Go Green Project), UN staff, including National and International UN Volunteers, and also the people from the village that not only helped to plant the trees, but to look after them to ensure their growth on the months to come.

Around 8:20, at Riad El-Solh Square, in front of the UN House building, all volunteers wearing UNV light blue vests were waiting to board the buses and depart to Sawfar. After one hour and a steep climb, the buses arrived to Sawfar where the volunteers had some snacks and watched the first tree being planted in front of the Association of Municipalities of Jurd El-A'ala Bhamdoun premises.

Back to the buses, the drivers did their best to take the volunteers to the place where the trees were waiting to be lanted. However, Badghan's narrow passages and alleys did not allow them to continue. Anyway, nobody said it would be easy, the volunteers continued on foot with great concerns regarding the weather.

Soon after the small briefing on how to plant trees, the volunteers could see the volunteers rolling up their sleeves and putting their hands to work. Mr. de San, UNDP Resident Representative, run faster than Mr. Walid Atallah, UNDP Project Manager, and Dr. Shaya, Head of Badghan's Municipality, to plant the first tree.

When all the trees were already placed in the holes and everything was done, the volunteers njoyed their well-deserved warm Man'oushi and drinks and took some memorable pictures.

13:00 the task was complete and all volunteers returned their brand new and fashionable vests and headed back to Beirut .

Other partners assisted the activity in different ways: The Ministry of Agriculture provided the trees to be planted, the ssociation of municipalities prepared the terrain in advance and the local youth club prepared a brunch for the volunteers after the activity, allowing the volunteers to mix up and share their opinions about volunteerism and environmental issues in Lebanon.

The Lebanese media was present on the day to cover the event and the first tree was planted in front of the Association of Municipalities in that region, symbolizing the UNV contribution to the reforestation of the village. The UNV in Lebanon also believed it was important to advertisethe International Volunteer Day. To give certain visibility to the IVD, a press conference took place on the 5th of December, a day before the activity itself, with statements from the Minister of the Displaced, the Universities, Municipalities, the UN Resident Representative, National UNVs and the private sector about the importance of volunteerism in Lebanon.

All participating universities promoted volunteerism in their universities starting the last week of November, they were provided with posters, flyers and publications related to volunteerism by the UNV Lebanon office. The event was linked to the 7th Millennium Development Goal: Environmental Sustainability.

Click here to view IVD 2003 Photo gallery