The International Volunteer Day-2017 was celebrated here on Tuesday with a resolve to continue efforts aimed at saving lives and changing minds through pragmatic involvement of the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) at union council level through acknowledging contribution of the volunteers. To mark the day, different events were held in which speakers highlighted the spirit of volunteerism and emphasised the need for promoting it for the good of society.
The Punjab Emergency Service (Rescue 1122) in collaboration with United Nations Volunteer (UNV), Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) and Humanetek organized an event to acknowledge the contribution of volunteers and their motivation for further implementation of vision for saving lives. Punjab Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports, Jahangir Khanzada, was the Chief Guest and MNA, Shaista Pervaiz Malik, was the guest of honor.
The event was attended by the dignitaries of national and international organizations including UNV, VSO, Humanetek and a large number of volunteers from all over Pakistan.
The volunteers from VSO, ICRC and Rescue Muhafiz presented their professional skills at different stalls and inspirational stories of successful volunteers were also shared with the participants of the event to promote volunteerism.
Director General, Rescue Punjab, Dr Rizwan Naseer paid rich tribute to all volunteers, saying Rescue Muhafiz programme started last year on 5th December, 2016, for mobilizing the power of humanity to establish Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) comprising Rescue Muhafiz (Volunteers) in every union council of Punjab for emergency preparedness is a great success.
He further said it is a matter of pride for him that Rescue 1122 registered 100,000 and trained 30,000 Rescue Muhafiz during the year 2017. Furthermore, volunteers from all over Punjab have been given opportunity to exhibit their emergency response skills in first Provincial Community Emergency Response Exercise-2017, he said.