Cross-border Volunteer Program to Strengthen Pan-Africanism Movement

July 31, 2022

BY MENGESTEAB TESHOME

The return of volunteerism is invaluable not only to target beneficiaries; but also a person on the engagements. Volunteerism, as it allows young people to take part in various people-centered activities, it widens their outlook, develops their skills and competences strengthens solidarity among fellow citizens; aside from overcoming societal challenges and problems.

According to the findings of sociologists and other social science field researchers, volunteerism is a great opportunity to improve career prospects, build social skills, plus cement ties among communities and beyond.

What is more, as to the scholars, volunteerism helps to keep thriving and do valuable works. Involving in activities that bring about a positive difference in the lives of other people improves mental and physical health. It can also help reduce stress, depression, keep motivated, and to develop a sense of purpose.

Needless to say that helping out with the smallest tasks can make a real difference to the lives of people, in need. And volunteering is a two-way street: It can benefit the actual participants, their respective families as much as the community they choose to offer services. Moreover, it is believed that dedicating time as a volunteer helps one making new friends, expand network, and boost social skills.

Ethiopia has been working aggressively to further strengthen the culture of volunteerism, especially amongst the young people. As a result from year to year the number of people who are keen to be engaged in various activities including renovation of houses of elders and vulnerable, blood donation, seedling plantations among others, is increasing significantly and substantial outcomes are registered at national level.

As part of this effort, to further expand the program to other African countries and bolster the Pan-Africanism movement in the continent, the government has launched an annual cross-border voluntary service program.

Recently, at the forum – the first Africa–Asia Youth Forum (AAYF)- which was held in Addis under the theme: “Boosting youth roles in ensuring a sustainable Africa-Asia Partnership, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs disclosed that the nation is going to engage youth in the cross-border voluntarism service in a spirit of Pan Africanism.

Addressing the forum, Women and Social Affairs Minister Ergoge Tesfaye (PhD) stated that the Government of Ethiopia launched a youth voluntary service to promote sustainable peace and security, reconciliation, inclusion, and social cohesion in Ethiopia.

She also noted that, last year, over 23 million Ethiopian youth participated and served over 63 million people all over the country and helped the nation save significant amount of Birr. Recently, the government has launched a cross-regional youth voluntary service and summer service, she said adding, this is galvanizing Ethiopian youth to unite, appreciate diversity, boosting common shared vision, and values that would add a significant contribution in the peacebuilding process in the country.

And currently, the country is going to kick off the cross-border voluntarism in a spirit of Pan Africanism, she further elaborated Ethiopia shares many of the challenges and aspirations of the rest of African and Asian countries, as to her.

The Minister also stated that, since recent years, Ethiopia has been demonstrating its ability to nurture its own vision and aspiration for the growth and development of the society. Evidently, this commitment has yielded positive results, she added.

As to Ergoge, both Africa and Asia have relatively the largest youth population, a possibility of development, fast growth with ample resources, among others. And, both continents have experienced similar scenarios in history. Due to this, they share the same lesson from their past; and also the same ambitions for the future.

She further insisted that now it is the right time for both continents to flourish once again and this will not be possible without the meaningful engagements of young people in every sector from policies to leadership, from business to entrepreneurship, from agriculture to industrialization, from human rights to environmental protection and so on.

O-YES Global Foundation Founder and Executive Director Kemal Abdela Kaso on his part said that Ethiopia’s effort to practicing and bolstering volunteerism among the youth is commendable.

The fate of each nation in both Africa and Asia is in the hands of the youth. For this reason, taming the youth with the values of volunteerism is the responsibility of all-the leaderships, respective stakeholders and the general community. O-YES Global Foundation is working with pertinent stakeholders to organize the forum here in Ethiopia, and conducted productive discussion and deliberations on the subject.

According to him, the youth is the engine of development and it is high time to equip them with the values of volunteerism. The Forum is believed to let participants to learn and aspire more to engage and strengthen volunteerism among respective nation’s youth.

Cross-border volunteerism is important because it lets to know each other and opening doors for economic as well as social integrations between and among the nations. Garnering experiences from the experiences of participants’ of the forum drawn from a number nation can have substantial benefit in terms of enabling them to learn vital life-skills and knowledge, nurturing citizenship and to promote positive civic action.

This part of the globe has been subjected to a number of challenges that stem from nature and political unrest leaving many youth many difficult conditions. In all adversaries, the youth are the victims and this should be stopped through consorted efforts.

The effort to actualize the cross-border voluntarism in a spirit of Pan-Africanism is great step and could have wide ranging benefits in gaining experiences in a number disciplines like education, technology, agriculture, culture, reinforcing solidarity and cooperation among others.

At the Africa–Asia Youth Forum, which was carried out for three consecutive days- from 28-30 July 2022- in Addis Ababa, countries, including Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Kenya, South Africa, Senegal, Nigeria, Algeria, Pakistan, Japan, Bangladesh, Iran, among others took part.

The Ethiopian Herald July 31/2022