ABU DHABI, 4th December, 2021 (WAM) — The Global Volunteering Leadership Summit, hosted and organised by the Emirates Foundation in association with the International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and in collaboration with the Department of Community Development, discussed why volunteering matters for the post-COVID world.
It also discussed the volunteers’ pivotal role in weaving a strong social fabric within communities. The ADNOC Business Centre hosted the global event in the capital Abu Dhabi under the theme, "The Role of Volunteering Leadership: Responding to COVID-19 and Building a Sustainable Recovery".
Coinciding with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations of the UAE’s 50th National Day, the summit also celebrated the 50th anniversary of IAVE, the global network of NGOs, businesses, national volunteer centres and grassroots leaders of volunteering. It saw the attendance and participation of representatives from national volunteering leadership organisations from 50 countries.
Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Managing Director and Board Member of the Emirates Foundation, has affirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthen international cooperation against COVID-19. "Since the very beginning of this nation’s journey, the UAE has been a source of inspiration due to the recognisable philanthropic efforts. Under the guidance of our Founding Father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, we have followed his lead in humanitarian activities. The UAE’s leadership is honourable in its dedication to perpetuating the great example set by the Father of the Nation, Sheikh Zayed, who bestowed upon us his legacy of altruism, tolerance and generosity of spirit."
Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development, said, "The power of volunteerism that we have always believed in was tested during this pandemic. I believe we were very fortunate to show the value of what we do, the enormous effort we have been investing in our volunteers and how they have played a pivotal role in complementing governments efforts in the fight against this pandemic."
Nichole Cirilo, Executive Director of IAVE, echoed Al Khaili’s sentiment. "This pandemic has been the first of its kind in the modern era, and we are here to discuss how the ‘Role of Volunteering Leadership: Responding to COVID-19 and Building a Sustainable Recovery’ will demonstrate that our successes, coupled with the valuable knowledge we have learned, can be used in the fight against the spread of not just this virus, but similar crises that may occur."
The summit features various international guest speakers sharing their insights on various topics, including Disruptive Innovation: Responding to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Creating an Enabling Environment for Volunteering, Volunteering and COVID-19: Lessons for Disaster Preparedness and much more.
The summit was jointly sponsored by Oxy, Total – Emirates Foundation corporate partner, ADNOC – the event host, and the Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi. It is a precursor to the 26th IAVE World Volunteer Conference, the largest global gathering of volunteer experts and practitioners, which will be hosted in Abu Dhabi towards the end of 2022 having been postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic. Being held in the Middle East for the first time, the much-anticipated conference will attract thousands of participants representing stakeholders of the volunteer community from around the world.