The judging committee for the fourth edition of the Prince Mohammad Bin Fahd International Foundation Insignia for Best Voluntary Work has completed the process of sorting and evaluating the voluntary projects submitted for participation this year, which reached 200 projects from various countries around the world.
In this context, Mr. Hassan Buhazaa, President of the Arab Voluntary Union, affirmed that the high level of participation this year confirms the remarkable development achieved by voluntary work worldwide, in addition to the positive impact that the Insignia has had in stimulating the enthusiasm to interact seriously with voluntary projects that serve communities. He pointed out that the voluntary projects that participated in the Insignia covered health, education, culture, heritage, environment, and humanitarian sectors, which confirms the fundamental value of voluntary work as one of the essential components of achieving comprehensive and sustainable development in cooperation with the public and private sectors.
Buhazaa said, "There is a great interaction from government institutions, commercial companies, NGOs, as well as volunteer teams with the Insignia since its launch, confirming its importance in highlighting the role of these institutions, entities, and individuals who have made significant contributions to serving and developing their communities, and putting their projects in the spotlight, as well as promoting a spirit of fair competition".
He added that the committee was keen in this edition to develop criteria for evaluating voluntary projects based on the general objective of the project, the target groups in the community, the nature of the innovation in the project idea and its distinctive aspects, as well as the mechanisms of work and the means used to achieve its objectives and address the problem, in addition to the criterion of the possibility of developing these projects in the future. In this edition, an important criterion was added, which is the nature of community partners and volunteers, whether they are international, regional, or local organizations, volunteers, as well as financing mechanisms and obtaining support, with a focus on the sustainability axis.
Buhazaa pointed out that most of the submitted voluntary projects meet the requirements and conditions for participation, which are that the projects must be voluntary and consistent with sustainable development plans and standards, and that the project nominated for the Insignia must have contributed significantly to serving a large segment of society.
It is worth noting that the total financial awards allocated for the Insignia in its fourth edition amount to $90,000 distributed over six categories, where the first winner in each category will receive $10,000, while the second winner will receive $5,000. Six voluntary works from different countries of the world will also be honored, as these works have distinguished themselves in serving their communities, in recognition of their role and the services they have provided. These awards will be presented during the closing ceremony in February 2023 at the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo.
