Who doesn’t like the idea of taking time out and at the same time doing something useful for themselves and others? An international voluntary service offers motivated people a voluntary opportunity to gather experience abroad off the regular tourist path.
Through cooperating on ecological, social or cultural projects, volunteers not only get to know another country and its people, but also acquire competences which can positively impact on their future professional, social and personal life.
In contrast to special programmes like work experience or student exchanges, international voluntary services are not vocational or educational learning services. However, they are definitely part of nonschool lifelong learning.
International voluntary services differ from temporary work, alternative community service and traditional volunteering. Generally, they involve full-time work with neither gainful intention nor vocational upgrading. In contrast to specialist services in development cooperation, most opportunities here do not require completed vocational training. Instead, focus is on motivation to social commitment abroad.
Placements are with an agency, project or programme, where volunteers receive support and pedagogical backstopping from the organisation placing them.
Depending on requirements and opportunity, you can choose between different kinds of international voluntary services. There are services which are not covered by statutory regulation, for which placements are a matter of civil contract between the volunteer and the placement organisation. By contrast, the Voluntary Social/Ecological Year (FSJ, FÖJ), Alternative Service Abroad (ADiA), European Voluntary Service (EVS) and weltwärts, for example, are governed by statutory conditions and guidelines.
The project executing organisations place people in medium to long term projects in Europe and elsewhere, and frequently also offer short term placements, e.g. in work camps. Several international voluntary services are aimed exclusively at young people, others are open to interested individuals of all ages.
Further information:
Current placement opportunities, background information and contacts for the various services are available in the AKLHÜ database.
Note: AKLHÜ itself does not have any projects or programmes abroad, and does not place any volunteers. Use the job database to find a placement opening.
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