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Volunteering Abroad - Why It's ¨Good ¨
Volunteering Abroad is good for the soul (and helps those you serve too).
Volunteering abroad is nothing new, on the contrary it has been with us for centuries - not only that, volunteering as a concept is possibly as old as civilization itself. There is genetic evidence which suggests that some of the pyramid builders in Egypt were volunteers, and some may have even travelled from other regions to help; volunteering abroad in Ancient Egypt? Rock-on Tutankhamen.
Volunteering is so entrenched in our everyday lives it is almost vicarious, from distributing leaflets to donating blood, moreover, pre-industrial communities would have struggled and possibly ¨died-out¨, if it wasn't for volunteering, and even today, volunteering in our own backyard is an essential aspect to flourishing economies and communities. And in many respects, volunteering abroad is even more important, especially in developing communities and nations.
Here are some of the positive aspects in volunteering abroad - please note this list is in no-way exhaustive.
- Volunteering Abroad is most often giving help where it is needed most - this help benefits the target community both directly and indirectly - moreover, if done often enough and for long enough will make for a fairer and more equal world.
- Working Abroad helps to remove prejudice and pre-conceived ideas and this new knowledge is not only helpful to you as an International Volunteer but upon your return home, benefits your own community and every person you are in contact with.
- Sharing Resources and imparting knowledge not only helps the community tended but has a more objective benefit which eventually filters through to the region where you volunteered abroad; the country itself and even the continent.
- When You Volunteer Abroad you help create jobs for local people. At first this may sound illogical, but the new skills they may have learned, the new ideas they would have gotten from you, the eventual impetus the economy receives, creates employment - not forgetting that you also spend money whilst you are in the country.
In traditional fashion it is only fair that we mention some of the negative perceptions of volunteering abroad - Here you go!
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Sometimes volunteering abroad is seen as a political venture, and this was certainly true (in some cases) in the 50s, 60s and 1970s - to avoid this label on your volunteering abroad venture choose a non-political organization for your service (Like volunteer Brazil).
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International Volunteering can also be seen as evangelizing, particularly if you volunteer with an organisation that has religious ties - many of these organizations do very good and needed work abroad but some also have religious undertones in their objectives - If you are considering this option you need to ask them what their objectives are, (it is illegal to volunteer in some countries if you have religious or political objectives).
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International Volunteers (it is sometimes claimed) often try and influence and change cultures and communities, and local traditions and culture is lost - This has been true in some cases, but today, there is a greater awareness and indeed a solidarity whereby it is recognized that integrating new ideas and new ways of doing things can actually enhance and preserve a culture and not destroy it!
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