TEHRAN – Welfare Organization will launch the Parliament of Students by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20) in a bid to boost the participation of young adults in society.

The Parliament of Students will promote public participation and enhance the role of young adults in society as a social asset and will upgrade their civil skills, IRNA quoted Arezou Zokaeifar, an official with Welfare Organization as saying.

At present, more than 200,000 students, including children of women heads of households, children with disabilities, and children at nurseries are provided with services of Welfare Organization, she added.

The creation of participatory organizations, such as the Parliament of Students will have a great role in boosting social participation, conversation skills, and collective policymaking among students.

The Parliament of Students is not only a bedrock for hearing the viewpoints of the younger generation, but only is a tool for practicing social participation, respecting each other, and solving problems.

Studies show that those students who have the experience of activity in participatory organizations will be more prepared in the future to take social responsibilities and roles.

The resident representative ad interim for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Iran, Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labé, has commended the Welfare Organization’s services, which have materialized commitment, inclusiveness, and hope over the past 45 years.

Being highly reliable, the Welfare Organization has offered services everywhere from metropolises to the most remote villages, ISNA quoted the official as saying.

She made the remarks while addressing a ceremony for the deployment of harm reduction mobile centers in Tehran on Monday. 

The relentless efforts of the organization are based on Article 29 that which guarantees the right to social security for all citizens, she noted. Article 29 specifies that everyone is entitled to social security benefits related to retirement, unemployment, old age, disability, lack of a guardian, accidents, and the need for healthcare and treatment, and that the government is responsible for providing these services and financial support, using national revenues and public contributions, as outlined by law.

The organization has brought dignity and care to those facing deprivation and social exclusion by providing services such as mobile clinics, harm reduction centers, and conducting programs for women, children, and those in need of special services, Medagangoda-Labé added.

The UNDP has had the honor of cooperating with the Welfare Organization through Global Funds to fight against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, Medagangoda-Labé stated.

The partnership has led to the development of a resilient and people-centered infrastructure, with over 430 service centers and 58 mobile vans. Over the past year, committed medical staff directly offered services to some 19,000 vulnerable people in remote areas through mobile clinics, the official highlighted.

She went on to say that these efforts and services were not ceased even during the 12-day war imposed by Israel on the country, which indicates not just resilience, but the highest commitment to public health.

The results speak for themselves; over 60 percent of individuals living with HIV know their status, and more than 40 percent of high-risk populations received prevention packages from the organization over the past year. 

Welfare Organization provides a large proportion of HIV services in the country, and in more than 90 percent of people being treated, the viral load has been suppressed, the official further noted.

“On our way ahead, the United Nations Development Program and the Welfare Organization will continue their joint efforts. Our goal is to expand mobile services, expand databases to address social harms, and develop evidence-based policies that are inclusive and responsive to future needs, and grounded in human dignity.

The collaboration also has the potential to expand by including mental health services, violence prevention, maintenance treatment, and professional rehabilitation.

“Today, we honor not only the (achievements of) the past, but a promising future wherein any village, area, and home benefit from dignity, hope, and care,” the official stressed.