Lebanon

Initiatives of UN Volunteers in Lebanon

Promotion of volunteerism

To promote volunteerism, UNV programme is engaged in a series of activities extending from organizing to participating in volunteering activities involving volunteers from local NGOs, civil society, Academia, private sector, and UN staff.

The UNV programme also mobilizes volunteers to assist civil society, public institutions, UN agencies and projects, participates, as a member, in the meetings of the Permanent National Committee for Volunteering (to be scanned) headed by the Minister of Social Affairs and celebrates every year the International Volunteer Day (IVD) (5 th of December).

It actively participates as a main partner in the Beirut International Marathon (BIM page) since its launch in 2003 promoting volunteerism and sport for peace and development.

UNV Support to the Promotion of Local Governance in Lebanon (2-year project, started on April 2004)

This project aims at revitalizing and developing local governance structures in three most disadvantaged regions of Lebanon. The project proposes to:

Restore organizational and managerial capacities in pilot municipalities, so they become fully functional in effective delivery of basic public services.

Incorporate volunteer action to enhance local governance, by establishing partnerships between public-private actors in the form of business-community relations for local development. UN Volunteers will help identifying and analyzing community development needs, and exploit full potential and synergies of the selected municipalities.

Promote volunteerism by displaying UN Volunteers at work, in their interaction at community level, while forging new, and/or reinforcing existing local partnerships for capacity development and mobilizing community resources;

Project activities

UNV support to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

A Japanese UNV is supporting UNESCO’s effort to implement the “Education For All – EFA” programme in the Arab region. The work varies from small administrative tasks to creating implementation plan for rural literacy development programme in the Arab region.

In December 2004, the UNV participated in the organization of an international conference on EFA and Capacity Building for NGOs (Collective Consultation of NGOs). 120 participants from all over the world gathered and exchanged their experiences and lessons learnt.

And in order to develop EFA at the national level, the UNV also coordinated the EFA week (24-30 April 2005) in Lebanon, which was internationally organized by a group of NGOs and aimed to end poverty through education.

UNV support to United Nations Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNOHCHR)

An Italian UNV is supporting the UNOHCHR in many activities; here are some of them:

-Mainstreaming human rights approach in the programmes of UN specialized Agencies .
- Raising Awareness on Human Rights issues and promotion of Human Rights education.
- Cooperating with the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
- Promoting Human Rights by working with Civil Society and Government.

In August 2005, she participated as a resource person in the first regional Summer Camp on Human Rights. 45 participants from university students from the Arab Regions, representatives of NGO’s and civil society, human rights activist, United Nations staff, government’s officials and policy makers came together to develop skills on how to implement human rights and how to organize awareness campaigns in their own countries.

UNV support to Crisis Prevention and Recovery – UN Resident Coordinator’s Office (UNRCO)

One Italian UNV Specialist and an Italian UNV Intern, working with the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Lebanon, took the responsibility to develop the first Summer School on Conflict Prevention and Transformation in Lebanon in August 2004. In August 2005, another Italian UNV Intern has organized the Second Annual Summer School. The idea was to bring together Lebanese nationals from different backgrounds in order to train them on subjects of conflict prevention and transformation, and non-violent communication in a suitable environment where they can share their experiences, and study the war objectively with the help of specialists from all over the world.

UNV support to Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union (LPHU)

An Italian UNV supported “The Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union”, a Lebanese NGO for and of disabled people, to establish the first job center in Lebanon specialized in people with disability.

“Unlocking job opportunities for people with disabilities”, is the objective of the job center. Two employment advisors were employed to undertake needs assessments of disabled persons that approach the center, counseling on which kind of job s/he should focus to and/or addressing her/him to further training courses.

After the first year, the results of the evaluation process were outstanding and 10 people with different disabilities had been employed, with regular contracts and social benefits.

Organizing the International Year of Volunteers

In its 52 nd session on 20 November 1997, the UN General Assembly declared the year 2001 the International Year of Volunteers (resolution no. 52/17). The premise underlying IYV 2001 is that volunteer service is called for more than ever before to tackle areas of priority concern in social, economic, cultural and humanitarian fields. The International Year of Volunteers (IYV2001) was a unique opportunity for governments to recognize, promote and facilitate voluntary activity. In Lebanon, a major result of the IYV2001 was the establishment of a Permanent National Committee for Volunteering headed by the Minister of Social Affairs. The Committee’s functions include promoting volunteerism, advancing the concept of volunteer action in Lebanon and establishing a Volunteer Center. Its main objectives aim to coordinate and implement a series of activities during the year, to raise awareness about the importance of volunteerism, and to draft a plan of action to enhance volunteerism among the Lebanese citizens and youth.

Some of the activities implemented in the International Year of Volunteers 2001 in Lebanon highlight certain achievements that could serve as a base for both the UNV programme and the Ministry of Social Affairs in promoting volunteerism in Lebanon.

In this frame, the IYV 2001 took on a colorful spin between UN Volunteers and local and international institutions:

- Volunteer Camp Recognition – UN Volunteers
For the first time, the Ministry of Social Affairs held an official ceremony to recognize its 100 young volunteers – Inspired by the IYV2001 goals.

- Skills to Motivate People to Volunteer – UN Volunteers and Al Mabarrat Association
Under the auspices of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Al Mabarrat Association jointly with the UN Volunteers, held a seminar for 150 people to highlight the concerns of volunteers and to introduce skills used for mobilizing volunteer efforts.

- Third Volunteer Fair – Association for Voluntary Services (AVS)
An attractive hub for youth and NGO interaction, the volunteer fair held over five days by the Association for Voluntary Services (AVS) at UNESCO Palace, facilitated an exchange of information and volunteer service opportunities.

- Fourth Marathon for Development – Mouvement Social
More than 500 high school and university student joined a race against poverty and marginalization, organized by the Mouvement Social as a challenge for youth to choose between being “observers” or “volunteers” on critical social issues.

- Volunteer Day Camp for Youngsters – UN Volunteers, Red Cross & UNRSRD
Joining forces to grow seeds of reconciliation among youth, UN Volunteers, the Red Cross and UNRSRD programme brought together displaced and returnees from the same village to learn the benefits and skills of volunteerism.

- Summer Camp – Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union
More than 160 people participated in a 3-day camp organized by the Lebanese Physical Handicapped Union – borrowing from good practices on volunteer mobilization and management.

- National Workshop: “Volunteering: A Social and National Issue” – UN Volunteers
The Lebanese National Committee for Volunteering organized a successful workshop attended by 200 participants on volunteering, looking at challenges facing volunteers and brainstorming national plans to promote volunteerism.

Read More:
National Workshop Report
IYV Global Evaluation Report

Download the report of the Secretary-General on the Follow-up to the implementation of the International Year of Volunteers, 18 July 2005. Arabic, English, French

Download the United Nations report on the outcome and future perspectives of IYV 2001, Sep 2002. Arabic, English, French

For additional information on the IYV visit www.iyv-2001.org

Enhancing Business-Community Relations

The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) and the New Academy of Business jointly implemented an action research project on current trends in business-community relations and corporate citizenship in seven countries - Brazil, Ghana, India, Lebanon, Nigeria, Philippines and South Africa. The project aimed to promote new models of business-community relations, enhanced corporate citizenship practices and the active participation of volunteers as facilitators between UNV, Business and local communities. It has sought both to bridge these gaps in understanding and to cultivate relationships between communities and businesses that are more socially and ecologically sustainable.

Composed of two phases, an action research phase and a partnership promotion and building phase. The first, aimed to investigate why and how business become involved in development initiatives through consultation with various stakeholders including business, employees, NGOs, UN agencies, media representatives, advertising agencies, etc. The partnership promotion and building phase complemented the action research phase and seeks to promote and form win-win sustainable partnerships with various stakeholders.

In Lebanon, the project was implemented simultaneously through three phases:

1. Action research: The action research phase was the centerpiece of a dynamic and participatory process that included research within many sectors in Lebanon including private and public institutions; media, advertising, UN agencies and non-government organizations.
2. Advocacy: The second phase included advocacy through public relations; presentations; promotional material and media relations.
3. Partnership Development: Two major partnerships were developed, managed and implemented as a result of the project as follows:

   a) The promotion of employee volunteerism through the celebration of the International Volunteer Day (IVD) and the wrap up of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV 2001). This event was realized in partnership with FTML-Cellis and the Rotaract Club of Beirut, through its nation-wide Rotaract and Rotary network;
   b) The implementation of the ‘Go Green’ project- an environmental awareness campaign initiated by Schtroumpf in partnership with UNDP/UNV, FTML, Coca Cola and Tetra Pak.

The output of the project includes a National Research Report and a Case Study Book on Business Community Relations. Reflecting the specific country context, priorities and aspirations, both the research report and the case study book aim to raise public awareness, trigger action on business-community relations, and promote Corporate Social Responsibility as a strategic imperative for organizational growth and sustainability. 

Download the Executive Summary of the Global Report

UNV Supporting Reintegration and Socio-economic Rehabilitation for the Displaced Programme

At the end of the war in 1990, 500,000 Lebanese were internally displaced. The region most affected by displacement was Mount Lebanon. Since 1994, UNV has participated in the UNDP-supported programme aiming to achieve return of the displaced by supporting the reconciliation process.

Socio-economic Rehabilitation for Southern Lebanon Programme

Following the Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000, UNV has articipated in a rehabilitation initiative for Southern Lebanon through the ‘Post-conflict Socio-Economic Rehabilitation Programme” jointly funded and managed by UNDP and the Government of Lebanon (Council for Development and Reconstruction).

Applying Information and Communication Technology (UNITeS)

UNV coordinates worldwide a volunteer corps working to help bridge the digital divide by applying information and communication technologies (ICT) to human development. The United Nations Information Technology Services (UNITeS) is an initiative that channels creative energy, skills and solidarity of volunteers around the world.
In Lebanon, a national UNITeS UNV operated within the context of the programme of  “Post–conflict Socio-economic Rehabilitation of Southern Lebanon’: training Youth in the Community Development Centers on practical IT applications and sharing useful tips on how they can better communicate and educate themselves through the Internet.