Formulate guidelines to promote volunteerism

The government should formulate guidelines to promote volunteerism, which is the best tool to achieve sustainable development, speakers at a national workshop on volunteerism said yesterday.

They also urged the youths, who possess immense energy, to play the leading role in voluntary activities.

Volunteerism creates a culture of responsibility; it provides an avenue for capacity building and it helps face development challenges, the speakers pointed out at the inaugural session of the workshop.

United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in collaboration with VSO, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) organised the national workshop titled 'Recognising volunteerism as a tool to increase local participation to achieve MDGs'.

State Minister for Youth and Sports Md Ahad Ali Sarkar said volunteerism is an act of kindness in general; it should be done in a coordinated way for more meaningful effects.

The government is committed to promoting and recognising the voluntary work, he added.

Citing the example of relief work during flood and cyclone, UNDP Country Director Stefan Priesner said volunteerism exists all around the world for centuries. It helps reduce poverty, enhance rural development and ensure welfare services. However, it goes on in an uncoordinated manner, which is why a state level policy is necessary.

Editor of the Prothom Alo Matiur Rahman said the government should provide support for voluntary work.

He also said the example of volunteerism has to come from the people on top. Otherwise, it will not be recognised by the mass people.

Ehsan UL Fattah, secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Fakrul Islam, director general, Department of Youth and Sports, Minar Pimple, Regional Head, UN Millennium Campaign, Bangkok, Ngozi Otti, Programme Officer of UNV, Shahanna Hayat, Country Director of VSO, and Kazi Ali Reza, officer-in-charge of UNIC, also spoke.