Can World Cup kick start a new wave of volunteering in Qatar?

Doha: Today Qatar will witness the largest volunteer program brought about in its history as 20,000 volunteers will come together to support the country in delivering the world’s biggest football tournament.

It is typical for mega events to recruit a record number of volunteers but, can Qatar – a country where volunteering is still in its infancy – sustain the spirit of volunteering beyond the event and make it a part of its social fabric?

“It can, but it is important to understand that it will not happen as a by-product. It will require a considerable amount of planning and forward-thinking,” said Dr. Kamilla Swart-Arries, Associate Professor at Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU).

Dr. Kamilla Swart-Arries

Dr. Arries was instrumental in driving the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Research Agenda and has managed field research at several mega sporting events including the Olympic Games. 

According to Dr. Arries, leveraging mega events to create a legacy of volunteering is a challenging feat and one that has been attempted by several countries before, all with varying degrees of success.

“South Africa attempted it too after hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2010, the momentum lasted for a while but eventually dropped,” she said. A similar pattern was seen in the UK where interest in volunteering was at a high just after the London 2012 Olympic Games but gradually dropped back to a historic norm.

Volunteer retention seems to be a universal issue and a key area where efforts need to be focused. Commenting on ways to improve retention, Dr. Arries said: “Proactive plans need to be in place on how to engage with the volunteering workforce post the tournament. Ensure there are volunteering opportunities available post the tournament and actively communicate them.” 

 Simon Jones

“Another important thing is to leverage the event to create an awareness of the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community. Most importantly, appreciate the volunteers for giving their time and energy because volunteering is strongest when it is recognized and supported.”

Sharing Qatar’s vision to create a more socially responsible population is QF. 

QF has always actively supported Qatar every time a need for volunteers has arisen; the most recent one being the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, and before that the volunteer program initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support Afghan refugees as they transited through Qatar.

“QF has mobilised approximately 7000 volunteers in the past three years. Thanks to its diverse talent pool which includes students, scientists, doctors, teachers, counselors and so on, we have been able to support various national volunteering initiatives,” said Simon Jones, Community Engagement and Activation Expert at Qatar Foundation.

QF volunteers sorting and packing donations at Education City.

Jones currently manages the volunteer workforce at QF and according to him one way to promote volunteering post the FIFA World Cup is by developing volunteer programs that have specific learning outcomes. 

He said: “This will ensure volunteering doesn’t feel like a one-way street, and people feel like they are also able to benefit from it whether it’s in the form of skills acquired, knowledge gained or even just confidence building. Once it becomes a two-way street, I think we will see better engagement and retention.”

For example, if there is a community garden that needs a volunteer to help. The role can be that of a sustainability volunteer and the individual volunteering can receive gardening classes in exchange for their time. 

It is also very important to lead by example, whether it’s in organisations or within families. If parents volunteer, their children are very likely to follow in their footsteps. Similarly, if members of management are seen volunteering, it significantly increases the chances of other employees following suit. 

“To take it one step forward and demonstrate their commitment to being more socially responsible, organisations can explore the possibility of offering their employees volunteer time off (VTO), which gives employees the flexibility to volunteer during the workday without a deduction in wages.”

Initiatives like VTO are key in enabling people to fit volunteering into their busy lives and result in a heightened sense of appreciation for their organization’s commitment to being socially responsible.

A QF volunteer talking to a group of boys at the Afghan Refugee compound.

As part of QF’s commitment to supporting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 volunteering programme, it is offering a special leave this year wherein QF employees volunteering for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 are eligible for 10 working days paid volunteering leave.

The hope is that, post the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, volunteering will to some extent become a habit as opposed to a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Jones said: “Through volunteering, each one of us has the power to make a positive contribution to our communities.”