Al Bireh –(5/12/2010): PRCS organized its Annual Youth and Volunteers Conference on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day, celebrated on December 5th of each year. The meeting was held at PRCS headquarters in Al Bireh.
The meeting, attended by dozens of young volunteers of both genders was opened in the presence of PRCS President Dr. Younis Al Khatib, the undersecretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Mr. Mousa Abou Zeid, PRCS Youth Department Director Mr. Khadr Abou Sbaih, Department directors, members of the PRCS executive and administrative committees, and the representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in the Palestinian Territory Giorgio Ferrero.
In his opening speech, Ferrero reminded the audience that 2011 would be the Year of Volunteers and that IFRC would be holding an international youth conference, in collaboration with United Nations volunteers, to discuss attacks perpetrated against volunteers.
He noted that PRCS’ Youth and Volunteers Conference, which will discuss means to boost and consolidate the role of youths in the Palestinian society, constitutes a golden opportunity for volunteers and young people to act for the benefit of their society.
Addressing the young participants, he said: “with your constructive contributions and participations in this conference, PRCS will be able to find a better definition of volunteer and youth work. I look forward to your efficiency, in the hope that these two days will generate great outcomes.”
On his part, Dr. Al Khatib noted the major boost this meeting is giving PRCS and the long-term vision it constitutes. He underscored the signification of PRCS Youth Hymn, which calls for national unity, the backbone of Palestine’s society, especially in these times.
He said: “It is my pleasure to be part of this meeting, especially in view of the many related occasions, namely the International Volunteer Day and IFRC’s Year of Volunteers, in addition to the PRCS’ anniversary.”
Al Khatib noted that volunteering in PRCS was of immense value, in view of the great sacrifices made by the Society’s volunteers of both genders over the long years of its existence. He underlined the fact that PRCS was the first to launch the idea of volunteering in Palestine, ever since the birth of the idea to create a Red Crescent Society in Palestine during World War I.
He exposed a number of major milestones in the history of the Palestinian people, including the war on Lebanon in 1982, as well as the first and second Intifadas in Palestine, where PRCS has had a clear impact on soothing the wounds of the Palestinian people.
Al Khatib urged the Meeting to come up with policies, plans and programs which correspond to the grave sacrifices made by PRCS Youths and Volunteers, and which would bear the future burden of mitigating the suffering of the Palestinian people.
In turn, Abou Sbeih ran through PRCS’ achievements in the area of Volunteering and Youths Action during 2010, from organizing workshops with the active participation of Arab and European national societies to holding many youth conferences and meetings where PRCS was represented.
He said: “More than 35,000 Palestinians of all walks of life have benefited from various sports, health, social, cultural, developmental and capacity building activities.” He noted that the number of PRCS’ active volunteers exceeds 3,000, of both genders, underscoring the fact that the first study dealing with the number of volunteer hours has shown that there have been 738,384 hours.
He discussed the work done by PRCS’ social centers in Hebron, Nablus and Al Bireh; the creation of the Bethlehem Center, and the projects implemented by the center in Jenin, in addition to the positive developments in PRCS’ institutionalization and organization of youth and volunteer work.
As for Abou Zaid, he asserted that the Ministry of Youth and Sports has managed, thanks to its strategy, to set up many axes and subsidiary goals which need to be achieved in order to put youths at the heart of Palestinian society’s development process.
He noted that this strategy was devised to achieve the ambitions of Palestinian youths, saying that “we will be able to transform the plan into a concrete reality because it will not remain on paper only or locked in some drawer somewhere. You will see it being transformed into concrete reality day after day.”
Abou Zaid underscored the need for everyone to take part in the fight against unemployment, and for all capabilities to be mobilized in view of bringing youths closer to the motherland and strengthening their feeling of belonging.
He said: “PRCS has our attention and appreciation. We are ready to provide you with all possible support because you are giving your best to Palestine. You are role models for all of us and you have our respect and appreciation.”
The goal of this two-day meeting is to review and develop PRCS’ volunteer work policies and youth programs, in addition to validating the strategic plan of the Youth and Volunteers Department.
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