5 April 2024 — Astana, Kazakhstan — CICA Secretary General Kairat Sarybay met with Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva. The parties discussed preparations for the upcoming seventh meeting of the CICA Youth Council at the ministerial level and the Rally of Volunteer Movement Leaders under its auspices. This event to be held in Astana on 16-17 May 2024 was initiated by President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.K. Tokayev at the Sixth CICA Summit.
For the first time, the Youth Council, a CICA advisory body, will be convened at the ministerial level with the participation of President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. In order to implement the CICA Ministerial Council Statement on Promoting Volunteerism for Sustainable Development of 21 September 2023, the upcoming meeting will be devoted to the role and development of volunteering in the CICA area. This Ministerial Statement gives a powerful political impetus to the new direction of the CICA activities to support and encourage active civic engagement in volunteering.
Furthermore, within the thematic panel sessions, the participants of the Rally will discuss trends and innovations in the volunteer movement, ways to increase the effectiveness of volunteer activities, the contribution of volunteerism to health, social and inclusive volunteerism, volunteerism and biodiversity conservation, and the role of the volunteer community in mitigating emergencies.
Importantly, to improve the competencies and skills of volunteers, the Rally will include training on the development of leadership and communication skills and training on design and project management in the field of volunteering.
The participants of the event will also enjoy a rich programme on the culture and history of Kazakhstan.
As part of the Rally, it is planned to award the winners of the essay contest among the youth on the topic “The Future of Asia We Want” held by the CICA Secretariat in 2023.
It is expected that the meeting of the Youth Council will produce recommendations for the further development of volunteer activities in the CICA area.
