Nadia moussa's presentation

XVI School of Volunteering (Autumn School) – International Meeting

Madrid 8 y 9 de septiembre 2011

Volunteering: a key for the twenty-first century citizenship

Nadia Moussa

Summary

I. The status of volunteering and civic participation in Jordan and North Africa

a) Appraisal of civil society in Jordan and North Africa

b) Definition of volunteering

c) Perspectives from actors involved in the development of the volunteering

in the Arab region

Summary (suite)

II. Initiatives from the civil society working to empower civic education, citizenship programs and volunteering:

a) From volunteering to civic engagement

b) Activists in action

c) Revolutions in the Arab world, the results of a civic participation

III. Development of Volunteering and Civic participation: conclusion and recommendations

Introduction to Foundation for The Future

Background

• Created in 2005

• Independent, multi-lateral and not for profit organization

• Promoting democracy, human rights, The Rule of law and reforms

• Supporting Civil Society Organizations CSOs in the BMENA Region

Donors

12 Donors including Spain, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Hungary, Jordan, United

States, Denmark, European Commission, Turkey, Germany, Greece and the

Netherlands

Introduction to Foundation for The Future

Foundation’s Areas of focus

• Encouraging civic engagement and citizen participation in public and political life

• Promoting and protecting human rights

• Enabling societies to empower women and protect their rights

• Spreading a culture of democracy and good governance

• Strengthening the principles of transparency, accountability and the Rule of law

• Advocating for media freedom

I. The Status of Volunteering and Civic Participation in Jordan and North Africa

A. Appraisal of Civil Society in Jordan and North Africa

• 1980’s: reviving of the debate on civil society

• Development of different civil societies

• Diversification of their structural compositions

• Shift from charitable associations to developmental activities

• Focus on advocacy organizations, women participation and citizenship

• However, third sector activities are not evolving fast enough

• Associative work is different in the four countries

I. The Status of Volunteering and Civic Participation in Jordan and North Africa

B. Definition of Volunteering

• Spending time while being unpaid in an association or a public institutions

• Benefit a group or an individual; economic and social contributions

• Effective tool to develop citizenship and active participation

• North Africa and Jordan’s status quo different from the one in Europe

• Social volunteering --> charitable organizations

• A part of religion and region’s culture but at economic and social stage

• Individual or community initiatives despite of Royal NGOs

I. The Status of Volunteering and Civic Participation in Jordan and North Africa

B. Definition of VolunteeringWeaknesses

• Centralizing and omnipresent state

• Society not free to express itself and be an actor for change

• Regimes do not always respect individual and public freedom

• Recent uprisings revealed frustration (unemployment rates very high)

• No hope or sense of purpose among the youth

• Low participation in associations lack of confidence or recognition

I. The Status of Volunteering and Civic Participation in Jordan and North Africa

C. Perspectives of volunteering

• Constant evolution, preponderant place in people’s lives

• Increasing appreciation and social recognition

• Evaluation Study: by the EWCHRD organization

• Positive change on youth behavior towards citizenship and volunteering

• Public and private schools are integrating volunteering in their programs

• CSOs promoting civic participation, citizenship education and political

awareness examples of Jordan, Algeria and Morocco

II. Initiatives from the civil society towards civic education, citizenship programs and

volunteering

A. From Volunteering to civic engagement

• Social activism widely present in the Middle East and North Africa

• CSOs enable young people to play an active role as active citizens

• International youth Foundation expands civic engagement

• USAID funds given to IYF which is working with community based org.

• Several outcomes to the 2009-2011 initial phase of the program

• Refugees camps : Ruwwad Organization

• Disadvantaged areas : Zikra Organization

II. Initiatives from the civil society towards civic education, citizenship programs and

volunteeringB. Activists in action

• Community and individual initiatives to promote social activism:

• Increasing awareness on volunteering and advocacy campaigns

• Empowering the Local Community working in underprivileged areas

• sensitization on civic participation, citizenship, and volunteering

• East and West Center for Human Resources Development

• Improving volunteering process in Jordan, partnerships and exchanges

• Tunisia: an awakened educated youth (workshops, trainings, etc.)

II. Initiatives from the civil society towards civic education, citizenship programs and

volunteering

C. The Social Media: success of civic and political participation

• Challenge in the BMENA : develop youth and political participation

• Social networks have increased awareness on political rights among

youth

• RDC 100 NGOs and 10,000 young people advocated for political change

• Tunisia & Egypt: mobilization for the elections through social networks

• Creation of numerous websites by activists committed to support the

democratization process

Conclusion / Recommendations

• Challenge of the 21st century: empowering youth and encouraging them to

participate in their own communities

• To raise awareness on volunteerism’s impact

• To develop a strategy to empower the educational system

• To involve civil society actors, policy makers and youth

• To increase advocacy among the authorities

• To develop international partnerships and networks

• Support from donors to expand civic participation needed