Need, effectiveness of trained volunteers stressed

Islamabad : Need, importance, and effectiveness of trained volunteers in various walks of life was highlighted at a national seminar organised by Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) Pakistan to mark the International Volunteers Day.

The event was attended by government officials, UN agencies, civil society organizations, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122, Ministry of Human Rights, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), Parliamentarians Commission on Human Rights (PCHR), Potohar Mental Health Association (PMHA), AwazCDS-Pakistan, Pakistan Development Alliance, Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS), and other civil society organizations.

In his welcome note Hashim Bilal, Country Director, VSO, shared the process of Certification for European Union Aid Volunteers (EUAV) to prepare resilience, response, recovery, and rehabilitation. VSO Pakistan is the first organization in Pakistan to qualify for the EU Aid Volunteers Certification, he revealed. Now Pakistan can host aid and development volunteers through VSO.

Hashim Bilal added we will further work on these standards with partners. He also highlighted the need for a Community Service Law that can provide recognition of volunteering at schools, colleges, and universities. “Lacking Community Service Law is the main hurdle in the retention of volunteers,” he added.

A panel discussion on the topic ‘Global Volunteering for Development Standards, adaptation and way forward in Pakistan’ was held which was moderated by Rizwana Warraich, Development Practitioner.

Dr Rizwan Naseer, Director General, Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122 appreciated VSO’s efforts in developing and launching the global standards and highlighted the need for contextualizing the standards to Pakistan’s context.

Idrees Mehsud, Member DRR-NDMA, linked his respective organization’s policies and practices with global standards and recommended key areas for future alignment.

The government organisations NDMA and Punjab Emergency Services offered their platforms and resources to international and national civil society organizations for the promotion of volunteering and community-based interventions as per global standards in Pakistan.

Zia ur Rehman, Chief Executive, AwazCDS-Pakistan deliberated as one of the panellist and stressed the need of national law and policy framework for volunteers in Pakistan. “Currently no law and policy level framework exists in the country for volunteers identification, national data base maintenance and management, assessments, capacity building, placements, performance monitoring, retention and sustainability,” he added.

Chaudhry Muhammad Shafique, Executive Director, PCHR, ensured the support of parliamentarians forum for bringing appropriate laws and policies towards volunteerism in Pakistan.

Amjad Pervaiz, Adviser Resource and Partnership, PRCS, Zulqarnain Asghar- Executive Director- PMHA, Gouhar Ayub, Team leader Policy Reform and Institutional Strengthening, GIZ also spoke as panellists and highlighted the need for interventions and advocacy for the promotion of volunteering at the policy level.