Hiba Awaysa represents Palestine and shares vision for insight-driven digital volunteering
In a historic gathering of global change-makers, Hiba Awaysa, CEO and co-founder of Sawaed19, proudly represented Palestine at the 26th IAVE World Volunteer Conference, hosted for the first time in the Middle East by IAVE and the Emirates Foundation in Abu Dhabi from October 24–27, 2022.
Over 1,000 leaders, experts, government agencies, NGOs, academics, and business representatives from more than 100 countries came together under the theme: “Volunteering for the Common Good: Making Life Better for People and Communities.”
During a powerful session on “Extending the Power of Volunteering through Technology,” Hiba delivered a forward-thinking presentation titled “Insight-Driven Volunteering: A Palestinian Vision”, where she introduced the Sawaed19 digital model and its transformative role in the volunteerism ecosystem in Palestine.
“I was honored to speak at the World Volunteer Conference, representing my homeland, Palestine, and sharing our vision at Sawaed19 for how technology can be a force multiplier for civic engagement.”
Hiba Awaysa
Hiba began her talk not with code, but with culture, wearing her grandmother’s jacket and recounting the deep roots of Palestinian volunteerism from as early as 1903, through the women-led Arab Women’s Union in 1921, all the way to her mother’s work in founding community organizations after the Nakba.
“The Palestinian story of volunteering is not new. It is a legacy, adapted, redefined, and now digitized. Our mothers and grandmothers led the way. Today, we continue, powered by platforms, data, and virtual connections.” Hiba said
Hiba’s message emphasized how technology, when driven by insights and community needs, transcends time and borders, enabling people to contribute to Palestine from anywhere in the world through virtual volunteering and gamified engagement.
“Volunteering isn’t just about tasks, it’s about reclaiming identity, building solidarity, and creating systems of hope,” Hiba added.
“With tools like Sawaed19, we’re not just managing volunteering, we’re reengineering its future.”
While the conference welcomed participation from more than 180 countries, Hiba noted with concern the limited Arab representation and used her platform to advocate for increased regional collaboration and greater international awareness of the humanitarian challenges facing Palestine.
Sawaed19’s participation marked a powerful moment not only for innovation, but for telling Palestine’s story in global spaces—a story of resilience, creativity, and vision.
