On June 23^rd, Raul and I attended an event at the Brookings Institution, one of the most influential think tanks in Washington, just a couple of blocks from the UBELONG office. The event focused on how international volunteering serves to meet global challenges.
 
Before a room so packed that some people had to sit on the ground, speakers from academia, government and the private sector presented their views. There were many distinguished participants, including Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, who was a senior adviser to former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and is now the Special Representative for Global Partnerships in the Office of the Secretary of State, and former US Senator Harris Wofford, who served as an advisor to President Kennedy and associate director of the Peace Corps.
 
The event addressed a multitude of issues related to international volunteering, including the following three points, which I think are particularly important and worth mentioning here.
 
Making international volunteering accessible and affordable
There are currently very few affordable, flexible and high quality programs for people to volunteer abroad. The Peace Corps is a wonderful option, but it offers volunteers limited flexibility: among other things, it requires a 27-month commitment and is a US government-run program that is only open to US citizens.
 
In terms of organizations offering shorter term and more flexible placements, having been an international volunteer I know firsthand that most of them are exceedingly expensive and set up as travel agencies instead of serious international development organizations. The difficulty I had in finding high quality and accessible opportunities to serve abroad was a big motivator for me in co-founding UBELONG. As articulated in the UBELONG mission, offering affordable and flexible opportunities is at the core of how UBELONG aims to contribute to the international volunteering movement.
 
The impact of international volunteering
International volunteering is a powerful way to bring people together. By encouraging direct people-to-people interaction, international volunteering facilitates collaboration and skills-sharing around practical problems on the ground. Whether volunteers are sharing their business expertise, teaching children how to speak a new language or contributing in the many other ways in which they can be involved, volunteers have the ability to impact their host communities directly and effectively. Additionally, volunteers also gain experience that helps them strengthen leadership, team-building and intercultural communication skills that are so valuable in today’s world. 
 
Furthermore, international volunteering helps break preconceptions and stereotypes. The experience of living and working together helps volunteers and host communities realize that there is far more that binds them together than pulls them apart.
 
International volunteering is growing
International volunteering is becoming increasingly popular for a variety of reasons. Individuals are realizing how much they can gain from volunteering abroad. Volunteering is not only a way to discover new places and immerse oneself in new cultures, but also an opportunity for self discovery and realizing one’s own potential. Large corporations, including IBM, which had a representative at the event, are recognizing that having their employees volunteer abroad brings enormous benefits in terms of building new skills, fostering cultural sensitivity and strengthening their commitment to socially responsible practices. Finally, the US government continues to stress the importance of volunteering as a tool for soft diplomacy. International volunteers help bridge cultural differences while improving perceptions about America and promoting the sort of positive experiences that increase the human capital of hosting communities and volunteers.
 
To learn more about the event, you can visit the event page of the Brookings Institution.
 
Cedric Hodgeman
Founding Partner
UBELONG

Click on the picture above to enlarge it. Photo courtesy of Paul Morigi and The Brookings Institution.