|
But Seriously, Folks Links to Volunteer Organizations I’m not pretending that the purpose of Mission: Implausible is to promote volunteerism. That would be like George Foreman promoting the vegetarian lifestyle after managing to go 24 hours without grilling a steak. However, if the Do-Good Chronicles inspire others to give this volunteerism thing a try, all the better. This page is divided into three sections. Volunteer Vacation Links connects you with organizations that offer short-term volunteer opportunities at home and around the world. I cannot vouch for the quality of the trips, but they sure sound good. You can find some great bargains, but most of the trips cost as much as, if not more than, your typical fun-in-the-sun excursion (although they're partly tax-deductible). Most of the listed costs don't include air fare. More Ways To Help links you to sites that promote volunteerism (not necessarily volunteer vacations) and can help you find ways to donate your time, whether it's working as a crime victim advocate or tutoring local schoolkids. Add A Volunteer
Opportunity is a list of organizations posted by Mission Implausible
visitors. If you want to link your group or Web page to this site, click
here. Please describe your organization and volunteer opportunities
and provide contact information. Volunteer
Vacation Links In their words: "...alternative travel programs that are a mix of community service and recreation, providing volunteers with the unique opportunity to participate firsthand in the culture of the region where they are traveling." What you can do: Renovate schools in Bolivia, help Australian Aborigines plant gardens, build a children’s health clinic in Brazil. Key info: Trips last two weeks and cost about $1,800. In their words: "You will help us achieve our mission to empower communities, foster cultural sensitivity and understanding, and further social progress." What you can do: Teach English, assist local doctors and help organize women’s empowerment groups in India, Ghana, Peru and China Key info: Trips last three weeks and cost about $2,000. In their words:"The mission of the Earthwatch Institute is to promote sustainable conservation of our natural resources and cultural heritage by creating partnerships between scientists, educators and the general public." What you can do: Collect soil samples in inner Mongolia, document oral histories of tribes in the Amazon, trace the path of a non-native fungus in the Pacific Northwest. Key info: Trips range
from one to three weeks and average $800 to $2,000. In their words: "...You get the possibility to protect nature and its inhabitants by helping local organizations with their conservation projects." What you can do: Monitor elephants in Cameroon, dolphins in Italy, killer whales in Norway. Key info: STILL TO COME. In their words: "Work alongside people young and old who want to share their time and experience to help make the world a better place." What you can do: Give AIDS awareness talks to church groups, teach English to Buddhist monks in Thailand, work with small businesses in Costa Rica. Key info: Trips last about three weeks and cost about $2,000 In their words: "GCN seeks to create a network of people who are committed to the shared values of peace, justice, tolerance, cross-cultural understanding and global cooperation, to the preservation of indigenous cultures, traditions and ecologies." What you can do: Drainage ditches in Nepal, refurbish a community center on a South Dakota reservation, improve a soccer field in Guatemala. Key info: Trips last one to three weeks and cost about $1,000. In their words: "Global Volunteers strives to wage peace throughout the world by helping establish mutual understanding between people of diverse cultures." What you can do: Harvest coffee beans in Jamaica, provide day-care in the jungles of Ecuador, teach conversational English in China. Key info: Trips last one to three weeks and cost $2,000 to $3,000.
In their words: "We welcome all people to join us as we build simple, decent, affordable, houses in partnership with those in need of adequate shelter." What you can do: Join one of Habitat’s Global Village Program crews in Fiji, the Himalayas, Zambia and other far-flung locales. Key info: You don’t need construction experience-just a flexible disposition. Trips last one to three weeks and cost $1,200 to $3,500. In their words: "LEAPNow! is the leading source for low-cost internships, volunteer positions, work exchanges, and experiential academic programs in 129 countries and the U.S." What you can do: Teach English in Micronesia, study humpback whales on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, serve the homeless in Ireland. Key info: Programs range from one week to six months, so costs vary greatly. In their words: "The Oceanic Society is a nonprofit organization working to protect marine mammals and the marine environment through conservation-based research and environmental education." What you can do: Live aboard a boat and monitor the behavior of dolphins in Monterey Bay, whales in Baja or sea turtles in Surinam. Key info: Trips last
7 to 10 days and cost about $1,700 (including airfare). In their words: "The mission... is to improve our understanding of life on earth through partnerships between University of California researchers and members of the general public ." What you can do: Dig for hunter-gatherer artifacts in Germany, study techniques of Laotian weavers, digging for ancient artifacts in Peru, monitor the foraging behavior of ants in Chile. Key info: Two-week trips cost about $1,600. In their words: "We provide programs where people from diverse backgrounds can work together to help overcome the need, violence and environmental decay facing our planet." What you can do: Organic farming in Finland, trail building in Azerbaijan, building skateboard parks in Greenland. Key info: VFP doesn’t organize trips but rather coordinates international volunteer crews for 1,800 "work camps" in 70 countries. These trips are much cheaper than most ($200 to $300), typically require camping and are geared toward the under-30 crowd.
|