SYRIA: Syrian first lady presides over opening of Youth Volunteering Forum in Arab Region

Syria hosts the fourth Youth Volunteering Forum in its capital Damascus. Syrian first lady Asma al-Assad presides over the event and calls upon all to strive for and help create a better future for the country and the Arab region as a whole. Syria's first lady Asma al-Assad presided over the opening of the Youth Volunteering Forum in the Arab Region which was attended by 120 young people from 17 Arab countries. The forum aims to improve the culture of volunteer work through organising workshops and practical programmes. "The Forum's motto indicates its objectives, since volunteering is necessary as an element of personal growth and a way of polishing the experience of the individual as a human being and a citizen," said the Syrian first lady in a speech she made during the forum's opening session. The three-day forum will focus on the experiences of Arab countries in the field of voluntary work with the aim of establishing working guidelines within the field. The forum also aims to provide workshops that provide young people with practical training and to examine the obstacles that are faced by those who engage in voluntary work in the region. Syria is the fourth Arab country to host the forum. Previous forums were held in Egypt, Tunisia and Bahrain. "The challenges are considerable. What is asked from all of us is a constant striving to create a better future for our country and our nation, and more commitment in the interest of people and initiative in the service of their issues without expecting a gift or a prize," said Asma al-Assad in her address to the participants. During Israel's war on Hizbollah in July 2006, thousands of young Syrians to help about 900,000 Lebanese refugees who fled to Syria and neighbouring countries.

ITN Source | July 12, 2007

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