President Tokayev outlines his vision for development of volunteerism

Astana, The Gulf Observer: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined his vision for the development of volunteerism in Kazakhstan on the second day of the International Volunteer Forum in Astana on Wednesday, speaking alongside distinguished experts and representatives of international organizations.

President Tokayev said Kazakhstan recognizes the important role volunteers undertake as “patriots of one’s country” and their goodwill, which is also inherent in the Kazakh people’s traditions.

“Our people have always extended a helping hand to those in need. In difficult times, rallying together, people found a way out of a difficult situation. Many representatives of ethnic groups that were deported to Kazakhstan have found their second home here. Therefore, the goal of today’s forum is undoubtedly consonant with the way of life of the Kazakh people,” he said.

By instilling a spirit of volunteerism, countries can have culturally aware and civic-minded people who are positively benefiting local and global communities, said Tokayev.

“I believe that strong volunteering and philanthropy traditions reflect the development and maturity level of a society. People with an active life and high sense of responsibility can drive real change in their country’s future and the entire world,” he said.

From this belief, Kazakhstan has developed and implemented a series of initiatives in the sphere of volunteering, including declaring 2020 as the Year of the Volunteer and adopting the government roadmap for the development of volunteering in 2021-2023.

As a result of these initiatives, the number of volunteer organizations in the country has tripled to 680, and the number of volunteers has reached 200,000. To support these efforts, front offices have been established in all regions, providing training to volunteers. Additionally, the qazvolunteer.kz website was established to facilitate volunteer engagement.

President Tokayev outlined how the volunteer movement can be developed in the coming years.

He proposed to launch a new roadmap that establishes a clear strategic vision and direction for the coming years. Introducing an accounting system for volunteer charitable activities, supporting volunteering activities through long-term grants and developing the institutional support infrastructure for volunteering were among the proposed steps.

“Finally, we must place greater emphasis on supporting international cooperation in voluntary activities. All volunteers should become part of a larger international network and actively participate in the global volunteers’ movement. This forum clearly shows that joint efforts toward these goals are of vital importance,” said Tokayev.

Director General of the Ministry of Tolerance of the United Arab Emirates Afra Mohammed Al-Sabri expressed her gratitude for the invitation to the forum.

“I am honored to be among you today to work together to spread the culture of volunteerism in our countries, and for this important forum to be an appropriate opportunity for all of us to present our experiences, share them and work together to strengthen the values of volunteerism,” she said.

Al-Sabri also suggested several ways how volunteering could advance in the future, including using advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, realizing sustainable partnerships between institutions and organizations to empower volunteers, and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship in volunteering.