Dubai Volunteering Center launched

• The center is the UAE’s First Governmental Center for voluntary work
• The Center, which comes in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 to promote volunteering culture

The Community Development Authority (CDA) announced today on the occasion of the International Volunteer Day the launch of Dubai Volunteering Center, the UAE’s First Governmental Center for voluntary work, as a part of CDA’s efforts to promote awareness about culture of volunteering in Dubai and develop social service standards.

The Center, which comes in line with the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 to promote volunteering culture, will aim to spread awareness about the importance of volunteering, encourage individuals to further participate in volunteering activities, and qualify and train volunteers in cooperation with competent authorities from both the public and private sectors.

H.E. Khaled Al Kamda, Director General of Community Development Authority in Dubai, said: “This is a very significant initiative as it emphasis the importance of volunteering work and offers the community an excellent network of services in this regard according to global best practices, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai.”

He added: “Volunteering work in the UAE experienced remarkable growth in several aspects such as the increase in the number of volunteer groups and members, as well as the number of activities in this respect. Through the Dubai Volunteering Center – operating under the umbrella of CDA – we seek to increase volunteering activities and regulate volunteering work”. H.E also announced the center’s first initiative which is to register 1000 volunteers in collaboration with Zayed University in the coming few months.

The Center provides a comprehensive data Registration System, Volunteering Rights framework, Training and Developing framework, a system that provisions volunteering opportunities, Hourly System, Voluntary Work Marketing System and a Volunteering Event and Activities Evaluation System. A number of highly professional employees and experts work at the Center to meet customers’ demands.

The Center will also work on organizing an annual training plan with tailor made workshops for registered volunteers in cooperation with partnering centres and organisations, as well as hold a series of awareness lectures about volunteering for private and public sectors, schools and universities. Additionally, it seeks to offer volunteering services to the community by co-launching initiatives and programs with strategic partners.

The Center’s aim is to guarantee volunteers’ rights, appreciate their work, identify the total number of volunteers in the emirate as well as encourage volunteers to increase volunteering hours that would ensure special awards for them.

The launch of Dubai Volunteering Center coincides with International Volunteer Day (IVD) and the voluntary week initiative that has been launched by H.H Sheikh Mohammed to support voluntary work among individuals. The Center is an inevitable step emerging from the volunteering services and initiatives that CDA launched in 2009 where volunteers have put in as much as 25,000 hours, and participated in 150 activities. There are currently more than 1000 registered volunteers with CDA. Modern communication tools such as the BlackBerry messenger and social media have enabled them to initiate direct dialogue with their audience. Other modes of communication include phone calls, email: volunteers@cda.gov.ae, or through office visits. Volunteers can register with the center through the page on the CDA website www.cda.gov.ae.