Volunteer
Vacations
By Robert
Young Pelton
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For those of you who flunked science
but still want to do something meaningful with your time, consider volunteering
in a foreign region. You can do anything from writing pamphlets to cleaning
toilets. In most cases, there will be a "goal" and you will help in "achieving
that goal." You, of course, will pay for all the expenses involved and
will have to make a donation as well. Once on site, you will be working
with motivated people who are trying to change whatever it is that causes
problems in the local region. It can be lonely, frustrating and ultimately
depressing. On the other hand, there is no better way to understand the
world's problems. There are thousands upon thousands of opportunities for
people who want to give of their time and skills. There are even more opportunities
for people who don't mind paying to volunteer. In some cases, state agencies
have replaced paid workers with paying volunteers for maintenance of trails,
parks, and so forth.
Archaeological digs are popular,
as are works projects in Third World countries. The list and choice of
volunteer vacations is so extensive that there are over 40 books and directories
currently in print on the subject. There are enough of these opportunities
to ensure that you will end up in the dangerous place of your choice, whether
it's digging ditches in Sierra Leone, working on a Kibbutz in areas occupied
by Israel or counting trout in the good old U.S.A. You can choose from
mild to wild.
*If you want to work overseas and
get paid contact: Fischer Report, P.O Box 2770 Laguna Hills California
92654 (one year subscription is $400).
An excellent resource is Volunteer
Vacations, by Bill McMillon, and published by the Chicago Review Press,
Another more cerebral source is:
Directory of Lay Volunteer Opportunities
St. Vincent Palloti Center for Apostolic
Development
Box 893 Cardinal Station
Washington, D.C. 20064
(202) 529-3330, FAX: (202) 529 0911
Let's start off the listings with
a higher moral tone. You can work with a number of religious organizations
like the Mary Knolls missionaries and other groups around the world.
Archaeological Institute of America
675 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02215
(800) 338-5578, (617) 353-9361,
FAX: (617) 353-6560
Call to order their annual listings
of digs around the world that are looking for volunteers.
Council on International Educational
Exchange
205 East 42nd Street
New York, New York 10017
(212) 661-1414
Field programs and summer academic
programs in Latin and South America.
Earthwatch
680 Mt. Auburn Street
Box 403N
Watertown, Massachusetts 02272
(800) 776-0188, (617) 926-8200,
FAX: (617) 926-8532
Offers working vacations on 155
field research expeditions around the world. Document the decay in the
coral reef off Maui, excavate Mayan sites in Guatemala, or help scientists
in Siberia study active volcanoes.
GAP Activity Projects Limited
44 Queen's Road
Reading, Berkshire, England RG1
4BB
[44] (734) 594914, FAX: [44] (734)
576634
The "gap" is a British term to describe
the year between grade school and college. The GAP places young people
in a variety of work situations in Russia, Hungary, Japan, China and Poland.
Positions include business, medical, adventure training, conservation and
teaching.
Institute for International Cooperation
and Development
Post Office Box 103-F
Williamstown, Massachusetts 01267
(413) 458-9828
Semester-long programs worldwide
that combine cultural and educational experiences.
Raleigh International
Raleigh House
27 Parsons Green Lane
London, SW6 4HZ England
[44] (71) 371 8585, FAX: [44] (71)
371 5116
Can you swim 500 meters? Can you
speak English? Good, you're on. Raleigh International sends eager young
(17-25 years old) volunteers to the far corners of the world. The goal
is to work on community, research and conservation projects while having
a bit of adventure. The charity likes to challenge young people and develop
their leadership skills and self-confidence.
UNIPAL (Universities' Education Fund
for Palestinian Refugees)
33A Islington Park Street
London, England N1 1QB
[44] (71) 2267997, FAX: [44] (71)
2260880
UNIPAL provides teaching and social
services to the Palestinians in Israel and Jordan.
Volunteers for Israel
330 West 42nd Street, Suite 1318
New York, New York
(212) 643-4848
Those who want to work on kibbutzim,
Israel Defense Fund bases or in hospitals can expect to pay between $500
and $1000 for the privilege. Age is no object, other than you must be more
than 18; over 15,000 people have signed up with this 13-year-old agency.
Volunteers for Peace
43 Tiffany Road
Belmont, Vermont 05730
(802) 259-2759
A work camp-type environment with
placement worldwide.
Volunteers in Technical Assistance
1815 North Lynn Street, Suite 200
Arlington, Virginia 22209
(703) 276-1800
If you have a specific technical
skill that you would like to share or apply with others, contact this group.
They prefer to communicate by mail and will ask you some specific questions
before referring you to one of the many volunteer groups in their listings.
Volunteer, The National Center
1111 North 19th Street, Suite 500
Arlington, Virginia 22209
(703) 276-0542
If you want to narrow down your
choices, make this group your first stop. They will simply refer you to
a group of organizations they think will match your interests.
| About
the Author, Robert Young Pelton |
| About the Author
- Robert Young Pelton is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in
London and author of Fielding's Borneo, The Indiana Jones Adventure , the
Survival Guide for Fielding Worldwide, and Dangerous Places. He lives in
one of the world's most dangerous cities - Los Angeles California. |
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