More than 150 people took part in the First Symposium on Promoting Volunteerism among School Students in Damascus on June 25th, 2005. The initiative was realized through the partnership between the Junior Chamber International (JCI) and the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programme, with the support of Areeba.
Besides official representatives from different organizations, youths between the ages of 12 and 18 related their personal accounts of experiences volunteering.
The presentations' subjects ranged from guidance on integrating volunteerism and community service into school programs to the positive emotional effects of volunteerism in the lives of youth. The sessions provided technical and theoretical perspectives on involving children and youth in volunteer activities.
An additional training workshop was conducted by Dr.Nabti on Developing the guidelines for school-based volunteering and community service and Creating Effective Team (Administrators, Teachers, Students, NGOs, Municipalities, and other Community Partners).
This event represented an important first step towards investing in the development of youth-oriented service programs, policy, research and training in Syria.
"If we wish to create a lasting peace we must begin with the children."
- Mahatma Gandhi