The participants in the 3rd Volunteering Forum of the Department of Social Services in Sharjah stressed the necessity of unifying all volunteer efforts within a homogeneous and harmonious institutional framework in order to find a single platform that includes a broad database of volunteers at the state level. The participants also called for conducting training courses for volunteers that contribute to raising their levels. Excellence in providing volunteer services, and not being limited to the roles of organizing events. They called for the necessity of instilling a love of volunteering in the rising generations through school curricula, and opening the way for them to participate in Gulf, Arab, and international volunteer work because it increases their experience in this field. Yesterday morning, the Department of Social Services in Sharjah held the third forum for volunteer work, in Aljada Hall in Sharjah, under the slogan “Volunteer Work and Making an Impact,” in conjunction with International Volunteer Day on December XNUMX, in the presence of Ahmed Ibrahim Al-Mail, Director of the Department, who confirmed in His opening statement said that organizing this forum confirms that the United Arab Emirates is considered a pioneering center in volunteer work and a continuation of its efforts in this sector, which contributes to highlighting the values ​​and culture of the country as a leading global model in empowering members of society, and harnessing technological development to establish volunteer platforms that dedicate their role as pioneers. For volunteering and leaders in humanitarian and community work, as volunteer work has occupied a large part of the lives of most sons and daughters of the country and has become a way of life for them, and this is clearly represented through their giving and contributions in various circumstances and occasions to draw a smile and make the future better. A noble human value, adding by saying that volunteer work is a noble human value and a tributary to achieving the comprehensive development of societies. Its foundations were laid by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah at the emirate level, which came to enhance the development of the society in which we live and meet today to discuss its most important vital components, which is Volunteering. In her speech, Hessa Al Hammadi, Director of the Department of Community Cohesion in the Department, said that the “Sharjah Center for Volunteer Work” is considered an umbrella for volunteer work in the emirate. It has contributed to achieving social solidarity and community cohesion, and has strengthened the form of volunteer work in the emirate, through managing and organizing volunteer opportunities and spreading the culture of volunteering among people. Community individuals and institutions and moving them from the framework of individual efforts to collective and institutional work, and also enhancing integration between institutions through the collective spirit of volunteer work. She added, the center has achieved many achievements, the most important of which is establishing a broad base of volunteers, so that the number of volunteers registered in the center has reached more than (sixty-five thousand) volunteers, who have achieved more than (eight hundred and sixty-four thousand) volunteer hours, and we are looking forward soon to reaching one million hours. Voluntary, God willing. She also thanked the volunteers and the work team that continues its efforts in organizing, coordinating and managing volunteer work. The forum this year comes within the framework of the relentless pursuit of developing the community volunteer system by working to lay a foundation for paying attention to measuring the impact of volunteer work and the criteria for creating impact for volunteer opportunities, and the extent of its contribution to community development plans and achieving their sustainability, despite the difficulty of measuring the direct impact of volunteer work. Because of its intangible nature and not easily measured traditionally, these challenges do not discourage us from seeking to address new areas within the framework of our keenness to improve the volunteer system. Therefore, we must seek to develop the tools and methodologies necessary to achieve this vital goal, wherein lies the importance of evaluating the impact of volunteer work. It detects the strong and weak points in programs and provides an opportunity for continuous improvement in creating opportunities and maximizing the impact achieved from them. In addition, it enhances the critical evaluation of volunteer work and the development of a culture of quality and professionalism in the volunteer field, on the basis that evaluating the impact of volunteer work provides tangible and reliable data for volunteers and volunteer organizations. And agencies offering to improve their performance and develop their volunteer programs. Positive Impact: The forum’s guest, Dr. Faleh Al-Ruwaili, Advisor to the Arab Volunteer Union from the Kingdom of Bahrain, presented a working paper entitled “Enhancers of Achieving Impact Measurement of Volunteer Work,” considering that achieving impact in volunteer work is important for measuring and evaluating the effectiveness of volunteer efforts and their positive impact on society, through the use of a group There are enhancements and tools to evaluate this impact, including: setting clear goals, developing performance indicators, collecting and analyzing relevant data, as well as comprehensive and continuous evaluation, activating innovation and experimentation in this regard, and ensuring the financial sustainability of the volunteer project. Dr. Sherif Abu Shadi presented a scientific paper on mechanisms and methodologies for measuring the impact of volunteer work, which is one of the most prominent features of volunteer work on society to improve the lives of individuals, but it represents one of the complexities on the human level in general and is based on the idea of ​​the basic base of data and indicators for the volunteer opportunity. Facilitating volunteer work. Mona Hammad, a member of the Federal National Council, and Hussein Al Balushi, a representative of the Emirates Volunteers Platform, participated in the first session of the forum. Hammad confirmed that the National Council facilitates volunteer work in the country and aligns it with the stipulated legislation, especially since the UAE is a hardworking society with fertile soil for volunteer work, which We are reaping its benefits today, and it is very important to make a strong connection between community volunteering efforts and opening volunteer opportunities. As for Al Balushi, he said, emphasizing the great development witnessed by the volunteer sector in the country, while noting the necessity of organizing volunteer work, developing the volunteer’s skills, and providing incentives for him, in addition to exchanging experiences and visions between partners towards developing and maximizing the outcomes of the volunteer process, and developing a common scientific core towards the determinants of raising quality. Community partnership and to enhance the achievement of effective partnership between civil and voluntary organizations and governmental social institutions in participating in development plans, one of the objectives of the forum. The second session was entitled “Pillars for activating the partnership of civil and voluntary organizations in community development plans and networking with governmental institutions,” and both Kholoud Al-Naimi, Director, participated in it. Department of Social Work Licensing and Development in the Department of Social Services, Wahida Abdul Aziz, President of the Arthritis Patients Association at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, Sahar Al-Obed, President of the Emirates Volunteer Association, Aisha Ghabish, Director of Events and Activities Department at the Sharjah Heritage Institute, and Mustafa Al-Hussaini from the Golden Loaf Foundation, who agreed on the importance of the partnership. Community and volunteer work as it is the right arm in all activities organized for the community.