INDEPTH: A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE
Getting involved
CBC News Online | February 13, 2004
Want to get involved in doing work that makes a difference? CBC.ca compiled information from aid agency and government websites to find out the kinds of jobs, whether volunteer or staff, that are available and the criteria for getting them.
There are a large number of NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and official government programs that send volunteers, some as young as 11 (in the UNICEF young leaders program) and others who are retired, as well as paid professional staff to help out in many places in various ways.
Every organization and program has different criteria for choosing people. Some will send volunteers overseas for a short period of time, others ask for a commitment for a year or more. Others use volunteers in home offices but send only paid professional staff on overseas assignments. Some NGOs and government programs allow students or recent graduates to work as interns, both in the home country and overseas.
According to NGO and government websites, the jobs are varied and can include:
- Construction engineers.
- Water/sanitation engineers and water system maintenance specialists.
- Financial specialists such as accountants and bookkeepers.
- Doctors.
- Nurses, nurse practitioners and physician assistants.
- Lab technicians.
- Computer hardware, software and network specialists.
- Teachers.
- Training specialists in various fields.
- Those with field managerial and supervisory experience ranging from high-level corporate managers through project co-ordinators to forepersons.
- Office managers and supervisors, and human resources specialists.
- Logistical experts (transportation, shipping, supply networks).
- Vehicle mechanics and drivers.
- Radio and communications specialists (including in some cases satellite technicians).
WHAT'S NEEDED:
Commitment: Both volunteers and staffers must commit for a specific period of time, lasting from a couple of months to several years.
Teamwork: Both volunteers and staffers must be team players, people who can live and work together, especially in primitive conditions where there is little privacy. Hours of work may be long. Tolerance and flexibility are assets.
Cultural interaction: For anyone working in a different country, the ability to interact with people from different cultures and nationalities is essential.
Experience: Most staffers are required to have some experience in the developing world or as community workers in their home countries. Exceptions are usually made only for those with special skills, for instance in medicine or engineering. For volunteers, previous travel experience, especially in remote or wilderness areas, is usually considered an asset.
Stress: Staffers often have to deal with stress and so, occasionally, may volunteers. Many projects take place in or near conflict zones or where the local people are in distress from either conflict or natural disasters. Heavy workloads, even in relatively peaceful areas, may increase stress levels in some people.
Adaptability: The field worker, whether staff or volunteer, must be able to adapt quickly to conditions that may change rapidly, sometimes moment by moment.
Responsibility: Everyone involved in this sort of work must be prepared to make responsible decisions and take responsibility for their actions, especially where human lives may be at stake.
Qualifications: For most specialized jobs, people would have to have up-to-date qualifications and licences in their home countries as well as a number of years of practical experience.
Language skills: Language skills are essential. Preference is given to those people who can speak more than one language. As well as English, the ability to use other international languages such as French, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese and, in some cases, Mandarin is an asset, as is the ability to speak and understand the local language where the person is stationed.
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CUSO tracks volunteers from:
AFS Interculture Canada
Canadian Crossroads International.
Canada World Youth.
Centre for International Studies and Cooperation
Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO).
CUSO.
Oxfam Québec.
SUCO - Solidarité Union Coopération
VSO Voluntary Services Overseas Canada
World University Service of Canada (WUSC).
CUSO Statement
Collectively, our organizations send or receive more than 3,000 volunteers each year and remain in touch with more than 60,000 returned volunteers. These figures include significant numbers of volunteers from the South, but by and large they represent Canadians so concerned about the disparity between life here and life in poorer countries that they are willing to give up weeks, months or even years of their time to improve the world. Through our network of members and volunteers, we reach into almost every community in Canada, coast to coast to coast. Ours is a real, concrete presence for Canada around the world, often the only Canadian presence outside of capitals, or even in some entire countries.
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