Santo Domingo. – The U.S. Embassy in Santo Domingo and the Instituto Cultural Domínico Americano held the conference “El Poder del Voluntariado”, as the launch of the Servimos Unidos Program, an initiative to promote volunteerism and community service through culture and the arts.
Timothy Brown, Acting Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy, highlighted the importance of volunteerism and expressed that at the embassy “we believe in Dominican youth. We believe that when a young person breaks out of the social mold of what surrounds him or her, makes a difference, demonstrates leadership, he or she can access opportunities for advancement and growth. He also emphasized that “Volunteering challenges us beyond complaints and protests, and involves us in solutions. Volunteerism is an answer to apathy”.
This conference featured presentations and discussions focused on promoting volunteerism as one of the key values of American culture, as well as promoting equity, fostering community service among young people, and sharing best practices for leading and developing volunteer programs among entrepreneurs and organizations.
More than 150 students and local organizations participated in the conference, which featured presentations and panels by representatives from the U.S. Embassy, U.S. Government program alumni and U.S. Peace Corps volunteers in the Dominican Republic, as well as civil society organizations Alianza ONG, Red Sirve Quisqueya, Fundación TECHO, Guardianes de la Democracia and Diversidad Dominicana.
For more information about the Servimos Unidos Program and to access the recording and presentations of the conference, please click here.
