Abdullah for promoting culture of volunteering

A strong culture of volunteering is vital to promoting sustainable development and building a better future for new generations in the UAE, Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister and Board Chairman of the Emirates Foundation for Youth Development, stressed on Tuesday. Speaking at the opening of a volunteers’ forum and workshop organised under his patronage by the foundation, Shaikh Abdullah said there was a need to enhance cooperation between individuals and corporations involved in various voluntary activities through joint initiatives and programmes across the seven emirates. He paid tribute to the leading efforts made by all individuals and national organisations engaged in volunteering and relief and humanitarian work, and to their role in promoting the culture of volunteering and community service across the country. Addressing the representatives of the civil society and government institutions who attended the forum and workshop, Shaikh Abdullah expressed deep thanks and appreciation to the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his brother General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for their wise leadership and limitless support to volunteer work. “This forum,” Shaikh Abdullah said, “represents an ideal opportunity for the participants to better know each other, share their experiments and exchange views and ideas about all aspects of volunteering and discuss issues that may obstruct further progress in the field of volunteering, which is vitally important for building the UAE future. “Right from the beginning, we have called for this forum as a means to help volunteers get a firsthand look into voluntary projects and unite their efforts to maximise benefits from their shared experiences in this vital sector,” he added. Shaikh Abdullah noted how the UAE leadership attached great importance to volunteering and provided the support which enabled leading organisations to fulfill their missions at a time when the UAE was experiencing wide strides in sustainable development and economic and social growth.