The Iraqi Social Forum Conducts a Training on the Concept of Voluntary Work
Presented to the Volunteers of the Forum and the Marathon
On the 27th of August 2021, at IQ Peace Center, the Iraqi Social Forum conducted a training on the concept of voluntary work for a number of the female and male volunteers within the space of the forum and Sport Against Violence Organization, coinciding with the commencement of the preparations for the activities of the sixth Season of the Iraqi Social Forum and the fifth round of Baghdad Marathon for Peace. The training lasted for two hours 4-6 pm, and 66 female and male volunteers whose age ranges between 16-30 participated in the training.
The training was conducted by the trainers Batool Kareem, the assistant coordinator in the Iraqi Social Forum and Hussam Subhi member of the forum’s secretariat, and a board member in the administration of Sports Against Violence Organization. They presented the concept of volunteering and its benefits for both the volunteers themselves and their community as a whole. Both trainers took turns to alternatively carry out the training: in which the trainer Batool elaborated on volunteering and defined the volunteer, she also spoke of the duties of the volunteers towards their fellow volunteers and also towards the entity in which they volunteered and the work environment; in addition to the importance of voluntary work in creating a cooperative humanitarian spirit between the individuals of the same community and between different communities as well. Volunteering is a practice that requires culture and awareness on what it offers for the volunteers themselves and for others, volunteering is from and for us at the same time and it stems from our desire for the greater good. And it is a noble and commendable practice especially when it aims towards changing values and behaviors specifically the changes we hope to culminate within the space of the Iraqi Social Forum.
Afterward, the trainer Hussam talked about the rights of the volunteers; such as the right to privacy regarding their personal information and the right to a safe work environment provided by the entity they are volunteering with. At the end of the training, the trainers demonstrated the positive impact of volunteering on the individuals and the community as it helps in building capacities and developing the skills of the volunteers, as well as, building a sense of responsibility among volunteers towards their communities and environments.
