The Arab Voluntary Union expresses its profound pride and honor at the convening of the Arab Summit in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the land of Arabism, peace, and love. We implore Almighty Allah to guide the Arab leaders in their deliberations and crown their efforts with success and achievement, and to preserve the Kingdom of Bahrain and its wise leadership.

The hosting of this prominent Arab event by Bahrain reaffirms its prestigious position and regional and international Arab leadership, and reflects the progress, development, and success that the Kingdom of Bahrain has achieved in all fields and at all levels under the glorious reform era of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of the country, may Allah protect him and preserve him. This summit will also enhance Bahrain's position and its leading role in promoting peace, security, and stability in the region.

This summit presents an unparalleled opportunity to strengthen solidarity and integration among the Arab countries. The Kingdom of Bahrain, under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has proven its efficiency in hosting and organizing prominent regional and international summits and conferences.  

We in the Arab Voluntary Union are proud to launch our Arab and international activities from this blessed country, where we reflect the vital role that Bahrain plays in strengthening Arab unity and consolidating the bonds of solidarity among our peoples.

The wise leadership of the Kingdom of Bahrain, represented by His Majesty the King and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, as well as the continuous support and cooperation from the Ministry of Social Development, have played a significant role in enabling the Arab Voluntary Union to achieve its distinguished accomplishments at the Arab and international levels. We affirm our deep gratitude and appreciation for this generous support that has enabled us to fulfill our role in serving our Arab and humanitarian causes.

The Arab peoples look forward with optimism to this summit contributing significantly to shaping the features of the common Arab future and unifying visions and efforts to address the challenges facing our Arab nation.

We pray to Allah Almighty to protect our leaders and to guide them all to what is best for our Arab and Islamic nation, and to bestow upon the Kingdom of Bahrain the blessings of security, stability, development, and prosperity.

Sharjah, February 28, 2024:

The Arab Voluntary Union participated in the 5th Sharjah Forum for Voluntary Work, held under the theme “Appreciating Voluntary Efforts.” Mr. Anwar Saleh Buhassan, Secretary-General of the Union, presented a paper on His Highness Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa Award to honor Arab pioneers in voluntary work, aimed at recognizing and honoring outstanding volunteers in the Arab world.

The presentation highlighted the objectives of the award, including recognizing Arab pioneers who have excelled in their fields and provided distinguished services to the community, motivating youth to engage in volunteer work, and fostering a culture of volunteering in society. The award's categories, criteria, and evaluation process were also discussed.

The importance of cooperation among various stakeholders involved in voluntary work to promote and spread this culture throughout the Arab world was emphasized.

In conclusion, Mr. Buhassan called on civil society organizations and institutions to encourage and promote a culture of volunteer work, believing in its importance in building strong and cohesive societies. He expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the Sharjah Forum and the Sharjah Award for Voluntary Work, particularly His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the Union and Ruler of Sharjah.

Cairo:

The League of Arab States and the Arab Voluntary Union have signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at joining efforts and coordinating work to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in Arab countries.

The MoU was signed during the Arab Sustainable Development Day, which kicked off yesterday at the Arab League in the presence of the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. The MoU was signed on behalf of the League's General Secretariat by Assistant Secretary-General Hossam Zaki, and on behalf of the Arab Voluntary Union by its President, Hassan Mohammed Buhazza.

The signing ceremony was also attended by the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Nevin El-Kabbaj, who chairs the current session of the Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs.

This MoU reflects the belief of both parties in the importance of joining efforts and strengthening cooperation to accelerate the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals in Arab countries, in line with the global trend.

The MoU aims to enhance cooperation in achieving the public interest and strengthening efforts to implement activities. This MoU is a significant step towards strengthening joint Arab action and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in the Arab world.

Manama, February 08, 2024: In collaboration with the Abdulrahim Al-Kooheji Foundation, the Arab Voluntary Union hosted a workshop aimed at integrating the Kingdom of Bahrain into the 2024 Global Philanthropic Environment Index issued by Indiana University. The workshop targeted leaders of charitable organizations in Bahrain and included:

An introduction to the Global Philanthropic Environment Index and its objectives.
An overview of the index's criteria and calculation methodology.
A discussion of the status of philanthropic work in Bahrain in light of the index's criteria.
Developing an action plan to enhance Bahrain's participation in the index.

Cairo: The Executive Office of the Specialized Arab Unions Forum at the League of Arab States has appointed Mr. Hassan Mohammed Buhazza, President of the Arab Voluntary Union, as a member of the Refugee and Displaced Persons Committee.

This appointment is in recognition of the Arab Voluntary Union's efforts in serving refugees and displaced persons in the Arab world. The Union has undertaken numerous initiatives and projects aimed at providing assistance and support to refugees and displaced persons, including promoting a culture of volunteerism in providing assistance to refugees and displaced persons and collaborating with civil society organizations to organize events for displaced persons' camps in the Arab world.

Mr. Hassan Buhazza expressed his gratitude for this appointment, affirming that the Arab Voluntary Union will spare no effort to enhance joint Arab action in the field of refugees and displaced persons and to provide them with the necessary support and assistance.

In light of this appointment, the Refugee and Displaced Persons Committee held a meeting on Sunday, January 28, at the headquarters of the League of Arab States Secretariat. During the meeting, several developmental proposals were presented for the committee's bylaws, as well as steps to establish a communication and support system that will be provided by the committee to refugees and displaced persons. Additionally, steps were outlined to unify Arab efforts in providing assistance and aid to displaced persons and refugees in the Arab world.

These proposals aim to enhance the committee's role in serving refugees and displaced persons, and to provide them with the necessary support and assistance in various fields.

The appointment of the Arab Voluntary Union to the Refugee and Displaced Persons Committee enhances Bahrain's international standing and its role in supporting and assisting the victims. Bahrain is a pioneer in humanitarian work, has extensive experience in the field of volunteer work, and works to enhance international cooperation in the field of humanitarian aid.

Dr. Issa bin Hassan Al Ansari, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Arab Council for Youth, emphasized the Council's commitment to supporting and empowering Arab youth in development fields. He highlighted the Council's efforts to raise awareness and educate Arab youth, encouraging their participation in comprehensive development across all Arab countries to achieve shared development goals, in addition to developing, coordinating, and expanding various areas of cooperation between Arab and global youth.

Dr. Al Ansari also emphasized the importance of contributing to economic integration among Arab youth and government efforts, as well as expanding youth participation in serving comprehensive community development issues at various levels. This is achieved through intensified efforts to develop and innovate qualitative initiatives and programs, most notably the launch of the Arab Council for Youth Award in cooperation with the Arab Voluntary Union. Both parties believe in the importance of the role of youth in leading their countries and the world towards a better future characterized by peace and prosperity. The award recognizes the efforts of young people to be active and productive citizens who contribute to the well-being of their communities and environment, as well as institutions that work to improve the enabling environment and infrastructure for youth to make an impact in all UN member states.

Mr. Hassan Buhazza, President of the Arab Voluntary Union, praised the joint cooperation between the Union and the Arab Council for Youth, which resulted in the launch of the Council's Youth Award.

Buhazza stated, "The Arab Council for Youth Award primarily aims to discover distinguished and creative young people from around the world in various professions, levels, and sectors, and to support them and provide them with opportunities to realize their potential and express their achievements and contributions. Additionally, it aims to highlight outstanding administrative practices related to the care and qualification of youth, to appreciate, publicize, and disseminate them in countries around the world to serve as a global reference that can be emulated through development and improvement".

He continued, "What distinguishes the award is its criteria, which are linked to creativity, innovation, and the use of technology to spread a culture of quality and excellence in performance. It also encourages global youth organizations to enhance their performance and improve their services and products, and to utilize social media to promote projects and attract support to achieve a fundamental goal: contributing to the development of youth businesses worldwide".

He added, "The award includes a number of judges with competencies and expertise from more than one Arab and international country. Through this award, we sought to create channels of communication with various parties concerned with volunteering and to strengthen the principle of effective partnership with organizations, bodies, institutions, civil society organizations, and volunteer teams, encouraging them to support government efforts in light of the changes the world is witnessing".