Volunteering in the state of Lebanon: An Exploratory Study

Volunteering is an important aspect for the development of any society; it mirrors the democratic nature of the state. While the nature of the Arab world is based on charity and Alma giving, literature argues that the concept... [ view full abstract ]

Volunteering is an important aspect for the development of any society; it mirrors the democratic nature of the state. While the nature of the Arab world is based on charity and Alma giving, literature argues that the concept of volunteering never fully develop in this region. This article analyzes the concept of volunteering in the state of Lebanon. The Main argument is that the nature of the Lebanese State in addition to the historical development of civil society directly affected the philosophy of volunteering among citizens. Civic services are not framed nor included in the national agendas of the state of Lebanon; this had a direct negative effect on the development of the act. However, due to social, economic and political factors this trend is changing: As of 2000, organizations started to understand the importance of volunteering and its link to the social and economic revival of societies; the Lebanese state started to encourage the act through providing the right legal and political environment; we are witnessing increasingly the development and Existence of Political, social and cultural environment that are encouraging the development of volunteerism: citizens are increasingly participating as a way of expressing their citizenship and assisting in building their own state.
While the literature about volunteerism is rich and diverse it is clustered around three major themes: (1) Theorizing and understanding volunteering based on historical, cultural and political dimensions taking into considerations different paradigms and disciplines; (2) Motivations to volunteer answering the questions who (determinants of volunteering) and why (motivations and benefits). (3) The nature of volunteering; the major aim of these theories is to conceptualize the complex nature of volunteering, study how it evolves over time and how it interacts with its environment; mainly answering the question "how do people volunteer".
This study is of exploratory nature; it aims to understand the concept and nature of volunteerism in the state of Lebanon and the reasons that would lead the youth to volunteer; it is based on analyzing the results of a national survey distributed to 500 students and 500 volunteers in three Non Governmental Organizations.
The study addresses four major questions: Does the idea of volunteering in Lebanon Exist? What is the relationship between the development of civil society and the act of volunteering in the region? What are the major factors affecting volunteerism and Civic engagement? Are there any national policies to encourage volunteering in the region? What are the reasons that would lead Lebanese youth to volunteer?
In terms of organization, this paper is divided into 5 different parts: part 1 reviews the literature and theories of volunteerism; part 2 reviews the historical development of civil society in the Arab world; part 3 analyzes the institutionalization of philanthropy; part 4 analyzes the reasons that would lead youth to volunteer through analyzing a national survey about volunteering; and part 5 concludes with recommendations and suggestions for future research.