Volunteer: A Traveler's Guide to Making a Difference Around the World
by
Charlotte Hindle & et al
Order:
USA
Can
Lonely Planet, 2007 (2007)
Paperback
Reviewed by Hilary Williamson
H
ave you ever wondered about taking a volunteer vacation? Ponder no more. Start with Lonely Planet's
Volunteer: A Traveler's Guide to Making a Difference Around the World
. Inside, advice on varieties of international volunteering is regularly interspersed with personal accounts of individual experiences. Color photos of volunteering locales enrich the text.
T
his small handbook starts with an overview of international volunteering, explaining why so many individuals take this option to '
Think globally, act locally
' on '
holidays, during gap years, on career breaks or upon retirement.
' The authors emphasize the importance of researching carefully to '
find a volunteer program that works both for you and for the host community.
' And they address the thorny question, '
Is International Volunteering the New Colonialism?
'
M
ajor sections cover
Choosing Your Volunteer Experience
,
Practicalities
,
Organized Programs
,
Structured & Self-Funding Programs
,
Religious Organizations
,
Do-It-Yourself Placements
,
Coming Home
(dealing with reverse culture shock), and
Start Your Own Charitable Project
. I liked the emphasis on
Ethical Volunteering
and on questions to ask yourself as well as potential organizations, as well as the broad coverage - across styles of volunteering, skill levels, and options for different age ranges.
I
f you're ready to put your own time on the line and
act locally
to help others, then
Volunteer
is the right place to start, providing comprehensive guidance on alternatives to consider and pitfalls to avoid.
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