The Importance Of Volunteering In The UAE

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Volunteering is defined as unrewarded, organized act that is willingly offered in the benefit of strangers. (Musick & Wilson, 2008, p. 14) It is considered to be a higher form of altruism and it’s often encouraged because of its positive impact on the volunteers themselves and on the community. “Volunteerism strengthens trust, unity and solidarity among individuals, and by purposefully creating chances for everyone to participate.” (United Nations Volunteers, 2016) In the UAE, voluntary work has witnessed a significant increase in the past few years due to the rapid population growth and the rise in public awareness regarding the importance of volunteering to the roots of the community. Volunteering in the UAE In the United Arab Emirates, voluntary work is done by the individual volunteers and by organizations, including both the governmental and private sectors. In 2010 the Emirates Voluntary Academy was launched in the city of Abu Dhabi. The academy offers specialized training for locals and Arabs from all countries in many different fields of volunteering. (Emirates Voluntary Academy, 2014) Moreover, in 2016 the ministry of Education announced that voluntary work will be obligatory in all public schools across the UAE for the grades from 9-12. Students will have to do 15-20 hours of voluntary work during the holidays as extracurricular activity. (Khaleej Times, 2016 July) Fields of voluntary work in the UAE Environmental volunteering The Permanent Mission of the

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