The plan for the current year is to deploy seven Kazakh citizens as volunteers to serve United Nations entities. This was announced by Aida Balaeva, the Minister of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, during the reporting meeting with the population on the online platform of the Central Communications Service under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a correspondent of Kazinform reports.
The initiative of the Head of State to declare this year the Year of the Volunteer is a great incentive for the development of the volunteer movement, especially during this pandemic. Under the aegis of the republican front office Birgemiz, volunteer headquarters were created, hotlines were established and about 40 thousand volunteers were involved in providing targeted assistance to socially-vulnerable segments of the population. As a result, during the state of emergency, assistance was provided to almost one million citizens in difficult situations. These were war veterans and labourers, single and elderly, large and low-income families. --Ms Aida Balaeva, Minister of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
According to Ms Balaeva, to further the systemic development of volunteerism, volunteer infrastructure has been created on the principle of one line -- from the regional to the republican level. Currently, together with non-governmental organizations, work is being done to develop a relevant draft law, within the framework of which practical mechanisms will be laid to motivate people to participate in volunteer activities.
Moreover, the plan for the current year was to deploy seven Kazakh citizens as volunteers to serve United Nations entities. The best volunteers and initiatives that have contributed to the development of Kazakhstan and the solution of socially-significant issues will be awarded the international 'Volunteer of the Year' award. Of course, it is difficult to complete all initiatives for the development of volunteering in one year, but this is a turning point for further systemic development. --Ms Aida Balaeva
The Head of State declared 2020 the Year of the Volunteer by decree. The closing ceremony of the Year of Youth and the start of the Year of the Volunteer was held with the participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, on 10 December 2019, in the city of Nur-Sultan.
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The article is published with the support of the Ministry of Information and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, as a translation of the press release published by Kazinform (©Kazinform media agency). Kindly refer to the original text.