Guidelines - Responsible Exchange and Volunteering 2018

Participants who are proud of exchange, have benefitted from exchange and who articulate this in creative forums become assets to promoting the growth of the sector, become more likely multipliers, more active alumni and become more competent individuals through proactive engagement in a variety of situations. Practitioners should consider aspects such as blogs, website information uploads, public speaking opportunities, photographic or other creative arts for participants to engage with as part of their expression of the power of exchange.

- Stories of Change: this is a powerful reflexive process which can be shared across the exchange landscape for collective learning. These stories play a further important role in supporting exchange growth strategies as they contribute to the sector’s “case for exchange”. - Alumni networks: this has been covered as an essential aspect of the holistic exchange experience. - Multipliers & Change Action Projects: covered above and recognized as an excellent mechanism to share the experience with the broader public.

Returnee Transitioning Supporting sustainable benefits of exchange

Where possible, sending organisations should plan to support professional transitioning of returning participants. This can be through assisting participants to access internships, learnerships and further training (including entrepreneurship training), jobs, leadership training opportunities etc. • Provide participants with a certificate of participation and offer your availability to act as a reference for participants • Through partnerships with corporate and public sector (Germany facilitates returnees entering into job market) • With other sending Organisations • Tap into existing programs aimed at youth development, training and employment

You may need to consider how you will fund some of the activities associated to returnee transitioning. A strong alumni network will be a valuable asset in this regard.

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