Amman: Minister of Youth and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II Award for Voluntary Service, Raed Adwan, recently convened with the winners of the award from its first and second editions. The meetings, attended by the Ministry's Secretary-General and Chairman of the Award's Management Committee, Mazen Abu Al-Baqar, spanned four categories: individuals, teams, profit institutions, and non-profit organizations.
According to Jordan News Agency, Adwan emphasized that the award is the highest form of national recognition in volunteerism in the Kingdom. He highlighted the necessity of collaboration among national institutions, volunteers, and award recipients to achieve the award's objectives of fostering a culture of volunteerism and acknowledging significant, sustainable voluntary initiatives.
Adwan noted the direct attention and involvement of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II, pointing out the Crown Prince's dedication to recognizing voluntary efforts and engaging with award winners. This commitment aligns with advancing volunteer work across the Kingdom in accordance with sustainable development goals.
He also stressed the importance of building partnerships with official and national institutions as well as winning initiatives and of creating a marketing strategy to showcase voluntary initiatives and the positive effects of volunteerism in various fields. The meetings with award winners will be followed by discussions with other volunteer initiatives, providing a platform for dialogue to generate recommendations and ideas to enhance future award cycles.
The minister reiterated the ministry's commitment to institutionalizing purposeful voluntary initiatives within youth directorates and centers and to networking with various institutions to support such activities. He emphasized that all ministry centers remain open to youth and volunteer initiatives across the Kingdom.
Adwan called for the expansion of voluntary work into new areas like entrepreneurship, innovation, environment, health, education, and training, in addition to social and charitable work. Participants offered ideas to strengthen the culture of volunteerism in society and institutionalize volunteer work, especially in educational settings, while advocating for increased financial support for volunteer initiatives.
The award winners stressed the importance of promoting the award both locally and internationally as a global model for institutionalizing volunteer work and involving winners in its promotion. They also emphasized networking with supporting institutions to ensure the sustainability of voluntary efforts.