Ceps to celebrate NGO week with volunteer awards |07 February 2024
The Ceps volunteer of the year award allows Ceps to give prominence to volunteerism and recognise the works being undertaken by volunteers within the platform (Photo: Contributed)
For the third consecutive year, the Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles will be commemorating the NGO Week in collaboration with its members as part of its efforts to push for the revival of the civil society sector.
The celebration will start on February 26 until March 3, 2024.
Whilst the non-governmental organisation (NGO) day is commemorated on February 27 worldwide, the week-long celebration will also incorporate the 'Zero Discrimination Day' on Friday March 1, amongst other activities.
Seychelles NATION spoke to Citizens Engagement Platform Seychelles’ (Ceps) chief executive Alvin Laurence about what this means and what the organisation’s future plans entail.
One of the most prominent Ceps’ event that will return this year is the volunteers’ award which originated in 2016. The official launch is expected to take place during the NGO week.
All the details and categories will be detailed for the event that will take place at the end of the year when the international volunteers’ day is commemorated in December.
This year’s event will be the fourth of its kind after a hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent priority to revive the civil society sector.
“The volunteers’ award is also one of the other strategies to encourage people to engage in contributing voluntarily in society and take part actively in building the nation,” CEO Laurence stated.
“Such award is an occasion to emphasise the positivity and the goodwill of individuals who are often forgotten and yet are making vital contributions,” added Mr Laurence.
Last year, for the Ceps’ anniversary, the chief executive declared that this year more emphasis will be laid on volunteerism, be it the neo-voluntarism that is often overlooked.
The first Ceps volunteer of the year award was held in December 2016. Vijay Construction is the main sponsor of the award. The award allows Ceps to give prominence to volunteerism and recognise the works being undertaken by volunteers within the platform.
Throughout the years, it has been recognised that citizens do not embrace volunteerism today as compared to the past. As a matter of fact, there are clear signs which are calling for actions to rekindle and re-energise the spirit of volunteerism, which was all along a natural response valued by our nation.
The aim of the award is to recognise volunteers’ contributions in communities, to honour individuals who have overcome significant challenges in dispensing their benevolent/charitable services and to honour individuals who have made exemplary benevolent contributions and services for an extensive and a minimum period of time of one year.
It is also to recognise innovative and inventive approaches in volunteerism, recognise voluntary services that have led to long-lasting results as well as to recognise voluntary services that have led to sustainable programmes by the civil society organisation involved.
By S. Esparon