Syria Today | A Voluntary Mindset

A Voluntary Mindset

By Rasha Fa’ek
Photo Ibrahim Malla

Ibrahim Muhanna, 22, joined the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) as a volunteer in 2006 following the outbreak of Israel’s war on Lebanon. He was one of hundreds of young Syrians who flocked to the Syrian-Lebanese border to provide some 900,000 Lebanese refugees with food and temporary accommodation during the Israeli assault on the country.

“When you volunteer you give your best, but in the end it is you who is rewarded,” Muhanna said of the experience.

The 2006 war dramatically highlighted the growing willingness of young Syrians to roll up their sleeves and donate their time and skills – free of charge – for a greater cause. It also prompted local media outlets to begin expanding their coverage of NGOs and their activities. But while local observers say volunteering is on the rise throughout the country, they hold that the culture of volunteering is still in its infancy.

Mu’taz Duji, communications officer for the Women’s Development Society, said when it comes to charitable work, many Syrians still prefer to donate money rather than to physically volunteer their services. This tradition, Duji added, dates back to 1880 when the first Syrian charity, the Sayyed Quraish orphanage, was established.

“Donating to charities is inherent in Syrian society due to religion and our traditions of social solidarity,” Duji said. “But actually carrying out volunteer work and committing time to a civil society organisation is still a new idea.”

Pressed for time

The preference among Syrians for financial contributions, say other observers, comes down to a lack of spare time among potential volunteers. Several young people interviewed by Syria Today back up this claim. They said the long hours they spend working – often holding down three or four jobs – means volunteering is not a viable option.

“I occasionally do some charity work and donate to orphanages,” Rawan Saleh, 26, said. “But work takes up most of my time, so I look forward to the weekend to relax and go out with my friends.”

Bassam Kadi, director of the Syrian Women Observatory, dismisses these arguments as excuses. He said better time management skills can free up time and stressed that voluntary work need not come at the expense of family time or leisure activities.

“Voluntary work is investing one’s spare time in serving society, it is essentially a personal choice but it does not require absolute devotion,” he said. “It is simply a matter of prudent time management.”

Another issue preventing many would-be volunteers from stepping forward, Kadi added, is the perception that local development organisations are corrupt. He said the lack of transparency from associations when it comes to their sources of funding and budgets for projects, leaves many potential volunteers with the suspicion that they would be providing free labour for employees looking only to line their own pockets.

“Volunteering should not be viewed as a source of personal income, such as pocket money or covering staff expenses,” he said. “Voluntary work is unpaid and aims to serve society without any personal gains.”

Other observers claim that a lack of interest in volunteering among the majority of Syrians stems from its reputation as an activity for members of the elite. Rana Tamimi, head of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Damascus, said such a stigma is untrue and should be reversed via awareness campaigns.

“Volunteers at the Syrian Arab Red Crescent come from all social classes,” Tamimi said. “Today, I’m with JCI which organises activities at individual, social, business, and international levels. Our activities have reached the poorer areas and most of our volunteers come from such areas.”

Advancing the cause

While the number of young volunteers taking part in development initiatives may be relatively low, associations such as JCI Syria are working hard to advance the cause. The association has organised several volunteering activities focusing on community development for people aged 18 to 40 and also participated in the annual Damascus Children’s Fair, an event which aims to spread the culture of voluntary work among school children through practical activities and interactive educational games.

“We are trying to make the new generation aware of volunteering and its positive effects on them as individuals, as well as on their communities,” Tamimi said. “The project has become one of the pillars of JCI Syria, with more than 60 JCI members working on it over three months.”

Raising awareness in the local community about the opportunities available for those wishing to volunteer is essential, Muhanna said. He vividly remembers the day he first stumbled across Dar Al-Karama (House of Dignity), a nursing home located just outside Damascus’s Old City.

“It’s another world there,” he said. “But why did I have to join the SARC to find out that there was a nursing home right on my doorstep?”

Muhanna believes many young Syrians are willing to donate their time, but they simply do not know where to go.

“There are hundreds of young people who want to volunteer,” he said. “The problem has always been with the absence of coordinating agencies or mechanisms that allow us to participate in voluntary efforts to serve society.”

Duji said deeper cooperation between the government and NGOs to develop strategies which highlight and advance opportunities for volunteer work is needed.

“Voluntary work can be linked to development work, which is related to the concept of human development,” he added. “The link between the two deepens one’s sense of citizenship and enhances personal productivity.”