The Minister of State for Administrative Reform, H.E.M. Ibrahim Shamseddine said that the State is the most developed form of the civil society, for it is a civil institution devoted to serving the people, according to their common consent, within a framework defined by the Constitution and the Law. The minister shed light on the importance of voluntarism within the Lebanese civil society and at the governmental action level.
The minister of State for Administrative Reform, H.E.M. Ibrahim Shamseddine was speaking during the opening of a round table held under the title “The Situation and Status of the Volunteers within the Institutional Structure of the Non-Governmental Organizations”. The meeting is the 4th organized by the European Foundation Émergences, within Afkar II program for the enhancement of the Lebanese civil society, financed by EU and managed by OMSAR. The two sessions of the meeting were held with the participation of the French expert and volunteer in the French Popular Relief organization, Mr. Jean Marshal, the Lebanese expert in voluntarism and social action, Mr. Rabih Fakhry, representatives of NGOs and activists from the civil society. The sessions were moderated by the social worker Ms. Dounia Bassil.


                                

After the Lebanese national anthem, the coordinator of Afkar program, Ms. Youmna Chakr Ghoraib highlighted the regression of voluntarism, in particular among the youth. She called to find incentives to encourage people to voluntarism and to train the voluntary workers within the institutions of the civil society, which allows them to enrich the society as well as themselves.
As for the Minister of State for Administrative Reform, H.E.M. Ibrahim Shamseddine, he said that the State is the most developed form of the civil society, as it is devoted to serving the people, according to their common consent, within a framework defined by the Constitution and the Law. He added that in Lebanon there is a clear, almost chronic and unhealthy absence of the State’s authority. He said that in the case of the demise of the State the observance of the Law will become a voluntary action. Thus, the voluntarism will become one of the strongest means of maintaining the solidity of the society and safeguarding the idea of the State. The minister went into the concept of voluntarism, explaining how it contradicts the idea of commitment. He described the voluntary action as one of the most sublime virtues, adding that in voluntarism one is free to choose the job they want to carry out without being committed to its execution. He urged to spare the voluntarism religious, regional or racial discrimination at all levels, for voluntarism is the antipode of isolation, therefore it should be open and communicative, with no borders or limits, adding that the voluntarism is about cooperating and communicating with another person or with a group of persons. Shamseddine set a parallel between the voluntary action in the Western societies, where the voluntarism is organized and no more an individual trend. While in Lebanon, where there is a solid cultural foundation of voluntarism that includes the family, the neighbors and to a broader scope the society, there is a lack of organization. In this regard, the minister declared to the participants his readiness to work as a volunteer with them in any activity or action that serves the public interest.

During the first session, the French expert, Mr. Jean Marshal talked about voluntarism from the perspective of France’s experience. He stressed that the civil organizations can play an important role within the civil society in terms of enhancing the democratic participation, the social and economic development and the promotion of the rights. He said that voluntarism is about donation through the delivery of services and the building of three-faceted relations between the members of the society: donation, and give-and-take. 
As for the Lebanese expert, he traced the regression of the voluntary action among the youth back to the economic situation, to the frustration and migration. He called to search for means to attract young volunteers by making them participate in the decision-making process and giving them the feeling that they have the power to change the society.
During the second session of the meeting, the director of the Human Rights Institute of Beirut’s bar association, Ms. Elizabeth Sioufi underlined the tremendous potential of the Lebanese youth, calling to set a framework or put a mechanism that will guide them to the most appropriate place where they can volunteer. She also called upon the municipalities to give incentives to the youth for this purpose. Her counterparts from Tripoli’s bar association, Ms. Marie Ghantous, explained that being the fact that voluntarism is free, the associations where the volunteers work should be non-profit organizations, adding that that does not mean necessarily that the activists should be pushed aside. Then, the president of the Association of Fighting against the Violence against Women, Ms. Laura Sfeir talked about the experience of the association, underlining that the voluntary action has not stopped, however a change is being noticed with regard to the quality of the volunteers. The vice-chairwoman of the Lebanese Women Council stressed the importance of promoting voluntarism not only within the associations but also within the political parties. As for Dr. Batoul Yahfoufi, she mentioned that the number of the volunteers in the villages is not decreasing, while in the cities it is. She suggested in this regard encouraging the youth through the introduction of the voluntarism as a course in the universities. The projects’ manager in Issam Fares’s Foundation, Mr. Walid Dagher called to make a clear study concerning the active associations.  The member in the Lions Club, Mr. Amir Hossni considered that the least that should be done is to cover the transportation fees of the volunteers. Mr. Chakr Noun talked about the experience of Baldati association, saying that the priority should be given to the interests of the youth by combining business with pleasure. The member of the National Council of the Former Employees, Mr. Emile Abi Nader called to establish a central body that makes a survey about the needs of the voluntary work in Lebanon and to set up a Higher Council of Voluntarism. The President of Deir Al-Ahmar Women’s Association, Ms. Dounia Khoury stressed the importance of combining the value of voluntarism with the joy of giving. As for Narimane Khanssa she underlined the role of the family and education in the promotion of this value.