SESRIC hosted young participants from OIC countries at its headquarters in Ankara on 4 September 2023, as part of the 2023 OIC Youth Day Program, which was jointly organized by SESRIC, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, the Islamic Cooperation Youth Forum (ICYF), and the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB).

The program was attended by H.E. Zehra Zümrüt SELÇUK, H.E. Dr. Amina Obaid Dhan AL HAJRI, Director General of Culture, Social and Family Affairs at the OIC General Secretariat, and distinguished representatives of the partnering institutions.

The program was commenced with welcoming remarks by H.E. SELÇUK. She highlighted the importance of youth involvement in shaping the future and underlined the substantial youth population within the OIC community and their potential for sustainable development. She also stressed the importance of volunteerism, connecting it with Islamic values of compassion and justice. She acknowledged the challenges hindering youth volunteerism, including time constraints, lack of awareness, limited resources, poverty and unemployment. She concluded by emphasizing SESRIC’s encouragement to youth development through various initiatives, including research, reports, capacity building, and training programs.

On her turn, H.E. AL HAJRI emphasized the importance of the OIC Youth Day as it serves as a reminder of the remarkable demographic strength of the OIC community and the opportunities it presents for sustainable development. She also provided valuable insights regarding the importance of youth volunteerism and social responsibility, as they are the key drivers for building a socially responsible world. She said that youth volunteerism is essential for promoting social cohesion and building a more just and equitable world.

After the opening remarks, Mr. Fadi Abdullah FARASIN, Assistant Director General of SESRIC, delivered a presentation on the role of the OIC and its institutions in the socio-economic development of OIC countries. He discussed the evolution of the OIC over time, its governance structure, resources, and potentials in the OIC region. He also briefed the participants about SESRIC, as a subsidiary organ of the OIC, its mandated areas and the overarching goals and targets of the Centre in line with the agenda of the OIC.

Mr. Muzzamil EDEMA, a researcher at SESRIC, shared insights into the State of Youth Report prepared jointly by SESRIC and ICYF and submitted to the 5th Session of the Islamic Conference of Youth and Sports Ministers held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on 7-9 September 2022. The presentation focused on the main findings of the 2022 edition of the report and provided a comprehensive analysis of the state of youth in OIC countries in four areas, namely, education and skills development; employment and entrepreneurship; health and well-being; and social participation. The presentation also touched upon key challenges faced by youth in these areas.

The program concluded with a presentation by experts from ICYF, highlighting the volunteering activities conducted by the ICYF.

The 3-day OIC Youth Day program highlighted the importance of youth volunteerism and social responsibility. Young participants from the OIC region delved into the conceptual framework of volunteering, explored the essence of volunteering, identified who can be a volunteer, explored various volunteering areas, and discussed the factors influencing volunteering.