Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi will host the 26th World Volunteer Conference under the theme of "Volunteering for the Common Good: Making Life Better for People and Communities". The event is hosted jointly by the Emirates Foundation and International Association for Volunteer Effort (IAVE) and will take place from 24th October until 27th October 2022 at ADNOC Business Center.
Abu Dhabi won the bid among three shortlisted cities and was selected by the IAVE to host the 26th World Volunteer Conference, making it the first capital in the Middle East to host this coveted global conference. The conference is the largest global gathering of volunteering experts and is held every two years. It aims to tackle many of the challenges and issues in volunteer work and highlights the culture of volunteering in promising sustainable development of societies and countries alike.
The event is expected to attract up to 1,000 participants and global stakeholders within the volunteering community, including leaders, civil society organizations, government agencies, academia and businesses from more than 100 countries around the globe, in an effort to share their perspectives on the significance of volunteering and its role in the growth of nations and civilizations.
IAVE is the only international organisation that connects volunteering leaderships, companies and NGOs under the umbrella of the common goal of supporting volunteering, encouraging humanitarian work and endorsing the efforts of volunteers all over the world.
On this occasion, Ahmed Taleb Al Shamsi, CEO of the Emirates Foundation, said: "We are glad to host this prestigious international conference which will attract hundreds of participants and global stakeholders from more than 100 countries, who will get the opportunity to learn about the UAE's history, its outstanding achievements in the humanitarian sector and its position as a leading hub for international volunteer initiatives."
Nichole Cirillo, Executive Director of IAVE, said: "We are pleased to collaborate with the Emirates Foundation to organise this significant international conference, which reflects the association's belief that collective volunteering is an expression of civic engagement that is fundamental and beneficial for all."
