A new generation of Lebanese youth is stepping into public life through volunteerism, championing transparency, reinforcing integrity, and helping rebuild trust between citizens and the state.

“Every morning, I would leave my town in the South and head to Beirut. Despite the long distance, the moment I felt that my work was making a real difference, the road fatigue dissipated. This experience convinced me that reform begins with a single step, no matter how small.” These are the words of Abbas Taweel, from South Lebanon, one of the volunteers in the Youth Volunteering for Integrity Programme. 

He is among dozens of young women and men who joined the initiative from across the country—from the Bekaa, the South, Mount Lebanon, Beirut, and the North—to take part in advancing reform from within public institutions.

Launched with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and joint funding from the European Union and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, the programme aims to engage youth in supporting national institutions and strengthening transparency and integrity in public administration.
 

The National Anti-Corruption Commission: Youth at the Heart of Integrity

Since early 2024, the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) has welcomed three cohorts of volunteers, totaling 31 young women and men from diverse regions, reflecting broad geographic and social representation.

The volunteers provided direct support to the Commission’s daily operations. They helped receive and securely archive more than 20,000 assets and interests’ declarations and assisted declarants throughout the submission process. They also contributed to updating the database and creating sustainable digital systems for long-term information management. In addition, the volunteers organized correspondence, classified files, updated the financial and accounting system, and supported the accurate and consistent management of the Commission’s website.

Volunteer Tala Diya describes her experience: “My volunteering experience was extremely positive. I didn’t expect to join a team that offered this much support and trust in our ability to deliver on the required tasks.”

Volunteers also contributed to legal research and supported the national corruption risk assessment by coordinating with administrations, gathering data, and assisting with analysis.

The Ministry of Administrative Reform: At the Core of Implementing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy

Parallel to this effort, another group of volunteers joined the Ministry of State for Administrative Reform (OMSAR) to support the implementation, monitoring, and update of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy.

Since May 2025, 11 volunteers have been supporting the Ministry through a wide range of tasks. They contributed to collecting data, preparing the third progress report on the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, and assisting in the preparations for the updated Strategy for the period 2026–2030. 

Volunteer Kawsar Abou Hamdan shares: “OMSAR is a fundamental pillar of the state. Being part of it gave me the chance to contribute to reform. I am working with a team on compiling recommendations for the updated Strategy and engaging youth on the concept of integrity, because real reform begins in society itself.”

Volunteers helped organize more than 20 meetings of the Technical Committee supporting the Ministerial Anti-Corruption Committee, coordinated with over 30 official institutions to obtain data, and supported dozens of consultation sessions tracking progress on various initiatives. They also supported the Ministerial Anti-Corruption Committee and contributed to strengthening transparency in senior appointments by preparing files and following up on required procedures.

Volunteer Omar explains: “I used to think the public sector wasn’t productive. But my experience showed me how many dedicated employees work hard despite limited resources. It made me believe that contributing from the inside matters more than criticizing from the outside.”

Inspiring Journeys... and Belief in Change

For Zein Zbib, a volunteer at OMSAR, the experience was transformative: “As a Lebanese citizen, I often felt powerless to make change. But by joining the public sector as a volunteer, I discovered that I can indeed create a difference.”

This sense of possibility is shared among all the programme’s volunteers: reform is not impossible. It is a cumulative process driven by individuals who believe in change.

Impact Beyond Numbers: Youth Energy Changes the Rhythm

The impact was not limited to the number of files processed or reports completed; it was reflected in the new ways of working that the volunteers introduced into public administrations.

Their presence helped accelerate workflows, improve archiving and the organization of information, and reduce pressure on internal teams. Most importantly, they introduced a new culture grounded in discipline, enthusiasm, and initiative, which positively influenced the work environment within public institutions.

In turn, the volunteers gained firsthand insight into the realities of public institutions: the challenges they face, the limitations they navigate, and the ways individual agency can create tangible impact from within.

Trust Is Built Through Participation

Concurrently with the International Anti-Corruption Day, this experience stands as living proof that trust is not built by laws alone, but by people who believe in their role in serving the public good.

The volunteers demonstrated that integrity is not merely a value; it is daily practice that breathes life into state institutions and brings them closer to citizens.

As one volunteer put it: “I wanted to leave an impact that serves my country, no matter how small. Today I realize that even a small impact is the beginning of a long path toward a more transparent and humane public administration.”

Through this programme, volunteerism has become a space where trust between the state and its youth can be renewed, and where a new conviction takes root: real reform begins when the voices of young people are heard inside institutions, not outside them.