The Government has been asked to institute a “National Volunteer Day”, during which all resourceful citizens would be expected to offer services and material contributions for the benefit of the poor and vulnerable people in the communities.
Such a day would also create an opportunity for the rich in society to go into the communities to experience real poverty in deprived communities and embrace the need for justice, in the distribution of state resources.
“If we are actually thinking about self reliance and creation of a just society then our approach to them begins with a ‘National Volunteer Day’, which we need positively to think about”.
Mr Justus Atayaaba, the Coordinator of Hope for All Children Development, a non-governmental organization, made this suggestion, when he spoke to the Ghana News Agency in Wa, at the weekend.
He said volunteerism contributes immensely to the development of nations and was therefore worth celebrating.
According to him, the World marks International Volunteer Day on December 5, each year, but Ghana has never seen the need to join the rest of the World in celebrating the day.
During this day, he said, people would be made to understand that it was a moral duty to share with one another, foster unity, love and cohesiveness and the conviction that unless solidarity was exercised at its peak, it would still not be well in the country’s quest for accelerated development.
“What a joy to see the rich and poor giving helping hands to each other and perhaps a declaration by all that we must be each other’s keeper, since we cannot tell what will happen in the future”, Mr Atayaaba said.
He said inspiring people to acquire the right attitude and cherish the spirit of volunteerism, could contribute greatly to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals, which are geared towards fighting poverty.