Guidelines - Responsible Exchange and Volunteering 2018

Volunteering Contemporary “ volunteering ” involves the sharing of one’s knowledge and / or time on a project or activity that contributes to a mutual benefit of sharing and learning. Volunteering is not intended to replace local jobs but provide added-value to existing efforts. This may include physical travel to the project / activity site which could be in a foreign country. Volunteers may or may not be required to pay a fee to participate as a volunteer in order to off-set some or all of the costs associated with their participation. Volunteer projects are usually implemented by civil society, schools or government entities. The term voluntourism is often used inter-changeably with volunteering, but for the purpose of this framework, voluntourism is in reference to private sector volunteer practices. “ Voluntourism ” is a relatively recent form of volunteering which involves participatory travel where the volun teer engages in an organised community or wildlife / ecological project typically implemented by private sector organisations. Exchange Intercultural / cultural exchange – a program that allows participants to live and work or learn in another country for a certain period of time. Exchanges allow for rich experiences, enhance a global perspective and promote diversity by helping participants and the individuals in their host countries to share and learn about each other ’s’ cultures. Knowledge exchange – the sharing of knowledge between individuals or organisations. Knowledge exchange does not necessarily require a physical exchange and several exciting platforms exist for knowledge exchange partnerships between countries, schools, universities and arts and culture groups. Youth mobility – within the context of this guideline, youth mobility refers to the physical movement of youth between countries for the purpose of exchange. Exchange Platforms and Programs A diverse range of platforms and programs for exchange exist and they cater for people or groups of all ages and skill sets. Exchanges can be online exchanges or physical mobility exchanges and are implemented through civil society partners, educational facilities, governments and the private sector. The appropriate platform or program for an exchange will be governed by the intent of the exchange partners and what they wish to achieve through exchange. For details on German South African exchange formats and platforms, click here “ German Exchange Platforms and Programs ” or go to page 55.

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