Qatar University (QU) held a series of events to commemorate International Volunteer Day, an international observance designated by the United Nations as December 5. Students participated in a seminar organized by College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) and an awareness event by the Student Activities Department.

The seminar featured speakers from Qatar Volunteer Center Dr Youseff Al Khadum and Dr Amina Al Hail, and QU students Mohammed Al Hashimi and Hessa Al Nasser. The students discussed their respective experiences of being involved in volunteer work at QU and in the community.

The event was also the opportunity for CAS to launch "My Life is Volunteerism", a competition in which QU students and alumni will submit their projects outlining volunteer activities that will benefit society. The aim is to inspire students towards volunteering in their communities and combining a sense of civic responsibility with their academic studies, CAS Dean Dr Eiman Mustafawi said. The winners will receive cash awards and their projects distributed to civil society associations in Qatar.

"Leave Your Fingerprint" was the title of the event held by the Student Development Unit in the Student Activities Department to encourage QU students to become involved in events at QU and outside that support community work and service. The objective was to get students to be more interested in contributing their time and skills to community events without the expectation of monetary return. Further, it was to establish a culture of volunteerism among the students and members of QU community in line with cultural and traditional values. Students' involvement in voluntary work will also serve to enhance their skills in a number of areas that will help them considerably in their future career, organizers said.

Discussing his experience in volunteer work, Mohammed Al Hashimi said, "It is very important for people, especially young people, to give back to society through community service."

He detailed some of his activities which included being part of ROTA and involved in youth and community outreach projects such as the Ramadan Project and the Empower conference, and the planning and organization of the conference on the 30th anniversary of the GCC, National Day festivities at QU, and the regional meeting to discuss GCC youth participation in the upcoming Rio+20 conference, a global effort to engage, inspire and motivate young people around the world to take action on sustainable development issues.

Hessa Al-Nasser devotes her spare time from her job in the Public Affairs Department at RasGas to the Doha Youth Center where she is Chief Editor of Marya Shahiba magazine. Hessa coordinates the activities of 30 boys and girls in the production of the magazine.

"The editors, photographers, and designers of the magazine are all young people from the Center," she said, adding, "This is what I love doing. Volunteering has helped me in so many ways and it is very rewarding to be able to contribute your knowledge and skills to benefit others."

As a volunteer at Qatar Career Fair, Hessa was editor of the career newsletter. "My life is volunteering," she said.