Riyadh, e-Media:
Prince Naif Bin Abdul Aziz, Second Deputy Premier, Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Council of Civil Defense, has called for more volunteers to take part in Civil Defense activities and projects, reported Al-Hayat Arabic newspaper Monday,according to "Saudi Gazette” news paper.
Prince Naif has asked universities to provide the Civil Defense with the information of those registered as volunteers, including those who participated in the Jeddah flood disaster.
Prince Naif, in a letter to the Minister of Higher Education, said that the Civil Defense has approved volunteers taking part in its work. There will be training programs to prepare them. He said it was important for willing university students to partake in Civil Defense activities.
He said volunteering strengthens social bonds between people. Volunteering “has been strongly connected to welfare and good deeds” and shows a nation’s advancement and awareness, he said.
The Prince, in the letter, said many university students volunteered for social activities at their universities. They also helped out with various emergencies that occurred in some of the Kingdom’s regions.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Turaiki, one of the volunteering supervisors at Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University, said such activities must be organized in a clear, professional, and world class manner. He said university students played an important role in helping out in disasters, in particular in the aftermath of the Jeddah floods.
Al-Turaiki called on decision makers at the ministries of Education, Higher Education and Social Affairs to create curriculums on volunteer work to be taught at secondary schools and universities.
The Saudi Red Crescent recently issued a book outlining its policy on volunteer work including goals and duties.