Speaking at the Delhi Volunteering Summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry under its India@75 initiative, Shah said young people were eager to volunteer and find solutions with governments. (Representational image | Pixabay) The Dialogue and Development Commission (DDC) will soon welcome young volunteers to work with the Delhi government on civic issues and in the field of environment, vice-chairperson Jasmine Shah said Tuesday.
Speaking at the Delhi Volunteering Summit organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry under its India@75 initiative, Shah said young people were eager to volunteer and find solutions with governments.
āUntil now, the emphasis of civic duties and democratic engagement of citizens has been only on electoral participation. The governments across India have failed to create any formal platforms to engage volunteers on neighbourhood issues such as schools, hospitals, the environment and civic amenities. Aiming to create a movement of youth volunteers, CM Arvind Kejriwal launched āDesh Ke Mentorā programme. Young volunteers act as guides for lakhs of students, many of whom are first-generation learnersā¦ This demonstrates the desire within the youth to volunteer, which can be channelised if the government creates opportunities and designs tools for engagement,ā he said.
The government is also working with the private sector and non-government organisations on projects such as City of Lakes and School Health Clinics.
āIn August 2020, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal launched the Delhi@2047 initiative to build Delhi into an equitable city with per capita income of Delhi being equal to Singapore, a modern city with world-class infrastructure and public services, and a sustainable and resilient city. Resilience and sustainability is not limited to physical infrastructure, an important facet is social infrastructure or the social capital that comes together to fight a crisisā¦. In its first phase, DDC has collaborated with private sector and philanthropic organisations on key projects such as the City of Lakes and School Health Clinics. In the next phase of the initiative, DDC will soon launch a platform with well-designed roles for young volunteers to participate in environmental and local civic issues. The Government will facilitate and support the young volunteers across several departments. The Delhi@2047 vision cannot be realised until youth is engaged and utilised meaningfully,ā Shah said.
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