In its fourth edition, the arbitration committee for the Prince Mohammed bin Fahd International Foundation for Best Voluntary Work award completed the process of sorting and evaluating the volunteer work that applied for participation this year, which amounted to 200 volunteer projects from different countries of the world.
In this context, Mr. Hassan Buhaza, President of the Arab Voluntary Union, confirmed that the high level of participation this year demonstrates the remarkable development achieved by volunteer work worldwide, in addition to the positive impact that the Insignia contributed to motivating people to interact thoughtfully with volunteer projects that serve communities, pointing out that the voluntary projects that participated in the Insignia included health, education, cultural, heritage, environmental and humanitarian sectors, confirms the value of volunteer work as one of the necessary components to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development in cooperation with public and private sectors.
Buhaza said: "There has been a significant interaction from government institutions, commercial companies, civil associations, and volunteer teams with the Insignia since its launch, in confirmation of its importance in highlighting the role of these institutions, agencies, and individuals who have had outstanding contributions in the service and development of their societies, and putting their projects into the spotlight as well as promoting the spirit of fair competition.
He added that the committee was keen in this version to develop criteria for evaluating voluntary projects according to the general objective of the project, the target groups in society, the nature of innovation in the idea of the project, and aspects of excellence, as well as work mechanisms and means used to achieve its goals and address the problem, the possibility of developing these projects in the future. Therefore, in this version, an important criterion has been added: the nature of community partners and volunteers, whether international, regional, or local organizations, volunteers, as well as financing mechanisms and obtaining support, with a focus on the axis of sustainability.
Buhaza pointed out that most of the submitted volunteer projects meet the requirements and conditions for participation, which are that the projects are voluntary and compatible with sustainable development plans and standards and that the project nominated for the Insignia has contributed significantly to serving a large segment of society.
The total financial prizes allocated for the Insignia in its fourth edition amount to 90 thousand US dollars distributed over six fields, where the first winner from each area will receive 10 thousand dollars, while the second winner will receive 5 thousand dollars and 6 volunteer work will be honored from different countries. These works were distinguished in serving their societies, in appreciation of their role and the services they provided. The awards will be presented during the closing Insignia in February 2023 at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo.