THE ISSUE • All overseas travel has an impact on the host community • When people volunteer overseas, they often assume that their impact will be more positive than just going as a ‘regular tourist’ • This isn’t always true.
Facts and Figures • Aproximately 200,000 people from the UK took a gap year in 2010 • Around 50,000 took part in some form of volunteering overseas • 28,000 of these were arranged by UK volunteering “providers” Figures: gapyear.com
Change their lives and yours Make a difference
Marketing the volunteer experience
Do your bit...
Some common perceptions of volunteering • “Companies are just making money out of these projects and putting nothing into them themselves” • “I shouldn’t have to pay to volunteer, my presence and work is contribution enough” • “It’s better to just go out there and find a project to help”
So three problems • Volunteers end up causing havoc at project sites • Volunteers return home disillusioned and angry • Projects don’t receive genuine benefit, or the benefit they do receive is not sustainable • (and a 4th ‐ the concept of volunteering is tarnished because of it)
What can we do?? • We need to change the model, from the old fashioned “colonial” approach to an equal partnership with the local communities • Expectations must be managed • (Nearly) no project can survive on untrained labour alone, they need additional support to survive and develop • FAIR TRADE VOLUNTEERING????
WHAT IS FAIR TRADE VOLUNTEERING ? A MOVEMENT WHICH UPHOLDS THE ETHOS OF A COMPANY. PROMOTES VOLUNTEERING AS A MEANS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. IT REPRESENTS COMMUNITIES OVERSEAS. IT STANDS FOR INTEGRITY
Who is FTV for? • Organisations who share a model based on development. • Organisations who acknowledge that international volunteering is development. • Organisations who want to promote and develop social enterprise. • Commercial organisations / charities / host communities / local youth groups...
Is this a kite mark? FCO Travel Advice Guidance for Overseas Expeditions Careers Services Desk (DfES) Learning outside the Classroom BSi8848 Year Out Group GIVS NIDOS (Scotland) Comlámh (Ireland)
FTV is not CSR
The Reason
Promoting a progressive concept of Volunteering and development
Empowering the host communities
By following the money
Creating wealth and employment through Volunteering
The 5Â Criteria of FTV
1. MINIMUM "LOCAL INVESTMENT" LEVEL
2. LONG TERM COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT (MINIMUM 3 YEARS)
3. CLEAR AND HONEST PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND THOROUGH VOLUNTEER PREPARATION
You can save the world on your placement!
4. IN‐COUNTRY SUPPORT AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT
5.100% VOLUNTEER EXPENSES COVERED BY THE PLACEMENT ORGANISATION, NOT THE LOCAL COMMUNITY
What can FTV do? Raise the bar and set a standard Be the voice for volunteering Empower host communities and projects Demonstrate the value of short term volunteering
FOR MORE INFO CONTACT INFO@FAIRTRADEVOLUNTEERING.COM