The village of Bzebdine in Southern Lebanon faces the challenge of reconciling the interests of its residents with the returnees to the region who were displaced during years of civil strife. Through volunteer activity, however, the job is getting easier. In 2001, Lebanese youth from different religious and ethnic backgrounds got serious about good community relations and set up camp under the banner of IYV. National UN Volunteer Kassem El-Saddik took the lead with the Lebanese Red Cross, UNDP's programme for the displaced and the Ministry of the Displaced to organize the seven-day volunteer camp.

Supported by National IYV Committee members, the camp brought together some 120 youngsters aged 8 to 14 to encourage them to build inter-communal social networks. Stressing teamwork through daily activities, young participants learned how to handle pollution, waste and forest fires. Working in groups to strengthen bonds, they used recycled paper for handicrafts, planted trees, played basketball and football and took to the stage in theatre performances.

In another activity, UNV business-community relations specialist, Lubna Forzley, a Canadian-Lebanese national, helped advance corporate volunteering for youth in Lebanon. Under a social responsibility initiative, "Generations", 10 per cent of employees at the mobile phone company FTML-Cellis volunteered with NGO programmes for young people who are rejected, abused, deprived of an education or delinquent.

FTML-Cellis, a member of the National IYV Committee, also co-financed the IYV closing event on 5 December, during which its volunteers were presented certificates acknowledging their contribution to human development. As volunteers, however, their true reward was the chance to share part of their lives.

Volunteers in other Arab States encouraged youth to challenge themselves by donating time to their communities:

• UN Volunteers, Jordan's IYV Steering Committee and Jemstone Ltd., a media and development consultancy, lit the "Volunteer Match" in 2001. A feature of the Jordandevnet.org web site, Volunteer Match promotes volunteering through a web portal that brings together the volunteer needs of public sector organizations with individuals, particularly students, who want to volunteer.
• In Tunisia, some 7,000 young volunteers took up key organizational and support tasks to receive and lodge athletes from 23 countries during the 14th Mediterranean Games held in Tunis from 2 to 15 September 2001, further highlighting the important contribution of volunteers in the world of sports.
• Egypt's Institute for Cultural Affairs launched a "Child Volunteer" training initiative in primary schools in three districts. Each school chose an activity to pursue, such as assisting the handicapped, cleaning streets or helping at blood drives. Teachers and parents were advised on how to encourage their children to contribute to their communities as volunteers.
•  Volunteer music united young people around the world in 2001. In Bahrain, Abd Allah Mohamed won a competition for 18-20-year old musicians with the song, Law kalbak malyan bel kheir (If your heart is filled with good). His band's composition featured with 26 other songs about volunteering on a special album produced for IYV.