A great discussion indeed. There was a recent debate in the NY Times about "voluntourism" with many of these same questions. To expand on it, we published a relevant article attempting to highlight the difference between "voluntourism" and volunteering your skills. We share a similar stance to @goodnewsmuse about enabling local residents and use the example:"I live in Seattle, WA, one block from a middle school. What would happen if a man from Colombia knocked on the door of the school and asked to spend time with the children and take pictures with them? Of course, the school does not need this, nor his money, so theyll call the police.This is voluntourism and its fueled by the wrong drivers.But what if a Spanish teacher in the same school publishes an ad asking for native speakers from Colombia, Chile, and Spain to speak with her class so that they can understand different dialects? The teacher would invest in creating a good experience, handle the paperwork, and provide a collaborative environment.This is skilled volunteering and it has a place in our globalizing world."
Thanks, Ellen! Here are some tips to make 2015 the year you ask for a sabbatical :) http://blog.movingworlds.org/how-to-ask-for-a-sabbatical-in-2015
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your thoughtful response. I do agree, there are time when you can pay to volunteer. In addition to what you mentioned in terms of covering travel costs, there are some other organizations, like Global Brigades, that structure "service learning" trips around volunteering, which are also a good option depending on the experience. And to your point, it's most important that ample time and energy is spend in sourcing ethical opportunities. Thanks for weighing in!
@DeltaWillis - Thanks for the note! I'm actually a big fan of Earthwatch. But I think the big difference here is that we're a marketplace for these types of projects that don't charge (i.e. you don't need an employer or family to sponsor your trip). The reason this works is that people volunteer their professional skills with a social impact organization in exchange for a free place to stay. By creating a marketplace and scaling the movement, we can also connect more people to smaller, locally-led organizations that have the greatest potential to create sustainable solutions and create jobs.
@Unboundly - Thank you! We don't do much to talk about the economic benefit while Experteering, but as our hosts provide free accommodation, it ends up being very cost-effective, while being very impactful to all parties!
This is a great post, Vagabondish! I spent a year volunteering and had some similar takeaways you might enjoy: blog.movingworlds.org/7-things-i-wish-i-knew-about-international-volunteering-before-spending-a-year-doing-it