Wonderful video of study-abroad cultural exchange on La Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua: A chat with the filmmaker, Heather Croix

February 7th, 2010 | By Joshua | No Comments »

The description of the video is simple—”Carthage College professors lead a group of students on a trip to Nicaragua to learn about physical geography and health care”— but its message is far-reaching and it captures aspects of travel and volunteering abroad — the anticipation, the fear, the lessons, the humility — that I’ve rarely seen presented so well.

The 9-minute film, “Explore Nicaragua,” was directed and edited by Heather Croix and produced and directed by Paul Chilsen. Heather is a recent college graduate, currently working as a swimming coach and substitute teacher in Wisconsin. Her trip to Nicaragua to document a Cathage College study-abroad program was her first time traveling outside the United States. Watching the video, you can tell it was as a profound experience for the filmmakers as for the subjects. I asked her about the experience: (more…)

Sustainable Harvest International offers volunteer opportunities in southern Belize

March 17th, 2009 | By Joshua | No Comments »

In a unique partnership with Cotton Tree Lodge, a highly acclaimed eco-lodge up the Moho River in Belize’s Toledo District, Sustainable Harvest International (SHI) has a number of ongoing projects that take advantage of Belize’s rich soil and plant diversity.

Sustainable Harvest International has been working in Belize since 1999—they’re also active in other Central American countries, “providing farming families with training and tools to overcome poverty while restoring the planet’s tropical forests.” In addition to overseeing an impressive organic garden at Cotton Tree Lodge, which supplies many vegetables for the kitchen, SHI offers a Sustainable Chocolate Tour in which participants can incorporate several days of volunteer work, chocolate making, and adventure activities. Proceeds from these trips benefit SHI’s Belize programs. SHI has also offers one-day volunteer opportunities to lodge guests.

“Peace Corps Worldwide” Website Launch Today

March 1st, 2009 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Today is the 48th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Corps Act by John F. Kennedy, an event which ushered in a whole new era of travel. In celebration, John Coyne and Marian Haley Beil announced the launch of a new online community intended for “Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs), their friends and families, and all who share a desire for international understanding.” Peace Corps Worldwide is a project of the non-profit Peace Corps Fund, and is not associated with the Peace Corps.

I’ll be writing a column on the new site, under “The Travel Guys”, and I’ll be joined there by my esteemed coauthor, Randy Wood.

Here is my first column: “Seeing the World and Bringing it Home.”

You’ll also find a plethora of globally themed blogs and book reviews of works by Peace Corps writers—including a review of this novel by RPCV Barry Kitterman, who served in Belize in the 1970s.

Hard, honest look at voluntourism by Lucy Corne

February 4th, 2009 | By Joshua | 2 Comments »

Lucy Corne’s article, “Is Voluntourism a Dirty Word?” gives a nice overview of volunteering abroad, focusing on the new trend of short-term volunteering, pitfalls and all. For instance, she advises against working directly with children on a short-term basis, since they’ll feel rejected when you move on, potentially doing more harm than good. She offers more good advice throughout, especially the roundup at the end of the article. Enjoy.

“A quest was born. A book was written.” Where Am I Wearing? promises a unique global tour

December 4th, 2008 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Kelsey Timmerman’s debut book, Where Am I Wearing? A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People that Make Our Clothes, is in stores now. The book recounts Kelsey’s “global quest to meet the people who made my clothes.” I’m always game for a travel book with a social justice bent and can’t wait to check this one out.
From the Inside Flap: “Ninety-seven percent of our clothes are made overseas. Yet globalization makes it difficult to know much about the origin of the products we buy … So journalist and blogger Kelsey Timmerman decided to visit each of the countries and factories where his five favorite items of clothing were made and meet the workers…. Whether bowling with workers in Cambodia or riding a roller coaster with laborers in Bangladesh, he bridges the gap between impersonal economic forces and the people most directly affected by them. For anyone who wants to truly understand the real issues and the human costs of globalization, Where Am I Wearing? is an indispensable and unforgettable journey.”

Where Am I Wearing Blog

Volunteer Opportunities with Room to Read

September 7th, 2008 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

Room to Read is a non-governmental organization founded by John Wood, author of the must-read Leaving Microsoft to Change the World. They have a long list of accomplishments including thousands of libraries and schools built, programs to provide education to girls, and computer labs throughout the Himalaya (where they got started) and all over the world. Room to Read’s website lists a number of volunteer opportunities, most of which are domestic based (starting a chapter, organizing a book drive, etc.). They also have a few paid overseas opportunities. Read John’s book to get an overview of the inspiring history of this movement, then hit their website and get involved.

Daniela Petrova on the Pitfalls of Volunteering Abroad

August 29th, 2008 | By Joshua | No Comments »

In her recent article for World Hum, “A Tourist With a Shovel and a Hoe,” writer Daniela Petrova “looked down her nose at tourists there to have a good time. But was her own motivation much different?” She hits on the main conundrum that faces short-term international volunteers—the actual effectiveness of such programs. Having been on a dozen such trips, mostly with American Jewish World Service, I’m well aware of this issue. A group might spend nearly $30,000 to visit a village and help build a school that costs $2,000 for a local non-governmental organization whose entire annual budget might be less than $20,000. What’s the point? (more…)

Matador Volunteer Offers Ten Ways to Volunteer Abroad

August 9th, 2008 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Though there are a few obvious ones here—like Peace Corps and WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms)—I definitely learned a few things as well; I’d never heard of Sudan Volunteer Programme, Turtle Teams, or Help Exchange, for example. There is also something about volunteering for the United Nations that looks intriguing. Matador Volunteer is based on recommendations of Matador Travel users (a social networking site); the site seeks to promote work “by grass-roots organizations and NGOs worldwide, and to connect you with volunteer programs and opportunities that make travel matter.” [LINK]

When given cameras, what do kids capture? Gorgeous slide show from Empowerment International

July 28th, 2008 | By Joshua | No Comments »

This is what happened when Colorado-based Nicaraguaphile Kathy Adams decided to pass out cameras in the village where she’d been working near Granada. Kathy founded Empowerment International, a grassroots development project for children which can always use your help. Enjoy the slideshow then consider donating to a worthy cause.

“Photos of Hope and Courage” from Nicaragua

June 12th, 2008 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Empowerment International is a worthy non-profit organization, based in Colorado and Granada, and working with poor children in the outlying communities of Granada. Here is a beautiful post from the EI blog:

“A photograph can speak a thousand words. It can show that you do not require the most sophisticated cameras to capture the true essence of a scene. It can also show that you do not need to be a professional to make poetry out of an everyday activity. And, most importantly, it can show that children with no means or exposure can wield their cameras like paint brushes and create masterpieces out of the drudgeries of life.”

The EI website is filled with wonderful prose, inspiring images, and all kinds of ways to get involved, from volunteering at home and abroad, to making a donation. Enjoy: [LINK]