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on May 21, 2010. This law defined the objectives of voluntary work, provided it with a contractual
framework and ensured the rights and duties of all stakeholders.
Motivations and perceptions of volunteerism are varied: While there is a state definition as
well as key underpinning concepts of volunteerism, perceptions and motivations of volunteerism
vary. Perceptions ranged from equating it with philanthropic activities to actively engaging
in community and social development without the expectation of financial compensation.
Regarding motivations, a number of common themes emerged: religious factors, time, personal
development, passion, empathy/compassion, a desire to give back to society, self-satisfaction,
and a desire to solve social problems. These factors were grouped into four main categories:
Social Cohesion, Employability, Active Citizenship, and Personal Development.
The path to enhancing volunteerism starts with a cultural-brokering intervention: Creating
infrastructures for a culture of volunteerism was viewed as an essential prerequisite. It was
emphasized that Tunisia lacks legal protection or provision of benefits for volunteers: young
volunteers often feel exploited and gain little from the activities in which they engage. A perceived
gap between supply and demand of volunteer opportunities was underscored and explained as
a result of the absence of a central resource to share information, experiences and opportunities
for Tunisian youth. Increased coordination and transparency/accountability amongst national
civil society organizations were emphasized as necessary in order to represent their interests —
particularly those of youth — at the heart of policymaking bodies.
Building a strategic infrastructure for volunteerism is essential: Participants felt that the
lack of institutions interested in volunteerism or recruiting volunteers is reflected in the weak
institutional structure and ineffectiveness of most organizations in Yemen. Similarly, there are few
organizations that support volunteering in government or the private sector. Weak organizational
structures and internal regulation coupled with a lack of organizational frameworks make the
institutionalization of volunteerism in Yemen difficult.
Volunteer organizations need technical capacity building: The lack of support for voluntary
activities was identified by participants as being caused by a number of factors, which included a
lack of confidence in volunteerism by institutions due to their legal ambiguity, volunteers’ lack of
experience in writing project proposals, and difficult conditions (especially during project initiation)
imposed by participating institutions. This last issue has led to unnecessary out-of-pocket
expenses for many volunteers, which the majority of people are unable to afford.
Funding is critical to sustaining volunteerism: The lack of funding and confidence among
financiers has resulted in many organizations (and their volunteers) being unable to sustain their
activities. The global economic crisis has further contributed to this, and has made it more difficult
for Yemeni organizations to access sustainable sources of funding. In addition, few institutions
offer volunteers health insurance, allowances for transport or meals or other support. Weak
private sector involvement volunteerism is also a constraining factor in developing a sustainable
culture of volunteering.
Volunteerism is not for free in a struggling economy, it needs funding for expansion: Lack
of resources was highlighted as a key issue. The emergence of a large number of civil society
organizations coupled with a shortage of available funding has led to organizations not being able
to provide incentives for youth to volunteer. Youth are, thus, hesitant to volunteer as volunteer
initiatives are often unable to offer the social safety nets which paid employment provides. This
results in a downward spiral of non-engaged youth and under-resourced organizations unable to
cater to each other’s needs.
YEMEN
There is a need for a regulatory framework for volunteerism: Yemen does not have
legislations and regulations related to volunteering, nor is there a national official definition
of volunteerism. This is a significant weakness in the system that contributes to a lack of
awareness about volunteerism. Participants agreed that the formation of legislation which
includes concrete definitions and mandates relating to volunteerism would certainly be beneficial
to promoting youth volunteerism and be a catalyst for proper implementation of volunteer
initiatives in Yemen. Moreover, the commitment of Yemeni lawmakers to developing legislation
and a national definition of volunteerism would signify a significant step in promoting a volunteerfriendly
culture which benefits Yemeni society and youth in particular.
UNV Findings Report
Encouraging volunteerism should start at an early age: It was noted that encouraging
voluntary engagement at an early age can strengthen the capacity of young people to improve
their behavior and realize their full potential. This can be achieved through university volunteering
and community participation programmes in partnership with schools and universities which link
basic education, university volunteering and community participation. One supporting mechanism
in this respect might be the establishment of an umbrella organization which links volunteers and
state institutions.
Conclusion 62