Volunteering at international level
Zsolt Molnár
Abstract
International volunteering is a form of volunteering where volunteer assistance takes place in a different country, often in a different socio-economic context than the culture of the volunteers involved and the sending organisation. This specificity is a key determinant of the interpretative framework, the impact mechanism and, in this context, the difficulties and risks of international volunteering. In this paper, I will first describe the emergence of international volunteering, its historical background, definition and main conceptual contexts, and then derive its roles and impacts at individual, social, economic and political levels, as well as its professional contexts (humanitarian aid, international development). Then I will summarise the benefits and risks for volunteers, sending countries and recipient societies, including critical discourses against the practice of international volunteering. International volunteering has undergone several major changes during the century since its inception (altruistic economic support to developing countries, the promotion of social mobility as a goal, new forms of experiential volunteering in parallel with value-based development) and has become a complex activity with multiple levels and dimensions. My explicit aim in presenting international volunteering is therefore to provide a comprehensive framework and understanding of the changes in the field.
Keywords: international volunteering, humanitarian solidarity, international development, voluntary aid, intercultural connection, societal progress