Mar13200912:48 pm

“Voluntourism,” volunteering abroad ctd.

Several months back I posted about the idea of voluntourism, which is just what it sounds like: using your vacation to do volunteer service work abroad. Certainly a very worthwhile notion. This idea led to a discussion of the fact that many people interested in international careers (and many interested in other careers as well) would love to volunteer abroad, for both the service aspect as well as the international experience, but simply can’t afford it.

While there are ways one can try to scrape together the cash to volunteer abroad, it’s still not an easy prospect, which is one reason among many why it’s heartening to see a higher power getting involved—not that higher power but rather Senator Russ Feingold! Sen. Feingold (D-WI) introduced to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations yesterday a bill (S.589) to establish a Global Service Fellowship Program and to authorize a new office called Volunteers for Prosperity (VFP).  The goal of this legislation is to increase the number of Americans volunteering abroad and to facilitate international volunteering experiences for U.S. citizens by promoting both short and long-term opportunities. Specifically, the legislation, if enacted, will provide financial support for Americans looking to volunteer abroad:

[The] bill would reduce financial barriers by awarding fellowships designed to defray some of the costs associated with volunteering. The fellowship can be applied toward many of the costs associated with such travel including airfare, housing, or program costs. By providing financial assistance, the Global Service Fellowship program opens the door for more Americans to participate—not just those with the resources to pay for it.

This is good stuff. We’ll certainly be tracking this at the Alliance but if you’ve got a spare minute, contact your Congressional members and let them know you support it. The full text of Feingold’s statement on the bill is after the jump.

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

By Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Cochran, and Mr. Cardin):

S. 589. A bill to establish a Global Service Fellowship Program and to authorize Volunteers for Prosperity, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce the Global Service Fellowship Act with Senators Voinovich, Whitehouse, Cochran and Cardin. This important bill would provide more Americans the opportunity to volunteer overseas and strengthen our commitment to international volunteerism. This bill also authorizes Volunteers for Prosperity, VFP, an office created by President Bush under Executive Order 13317. As the new administration seeks to rebuild and restore our image abroad, increasing the number of Americans volunteering abroad is a critical component of that work. The federal government should facilitate such international volunteering experiences for U.S. citizens by promoting both short and long-term opportunities.

My bill would not only provide more opportunities for people-to-people engagement, it would also reduce barriers that the average citizen faces when trying to volunteer internationally. First of all, my bill would reduce financial barriers by awarding fellowships designed to defray some of the costs associated with volunteering. The fellowship can be applied toward many of the costs associated with such travel including airfare, housing, or program costs. By providing financial assistance, the Global Service Fellowship program opens the door for more Americans to participate—not just those with the resources to pay for it.

Secondly, my bill reduces volunteering barriers by offering flexibility in the length of the volunteer opportunity. I hear frequently from constituents who are unable to participate in volunteer programs because they cannot leave their jobs or family for years or months at a time, but are interested in creating cross cultural connections and contributing meaningfully to positive global change. A survey released by the Pew Global Attitudes Project in December 2008 indicates that between 2002 and 2008, opinions of the U.S. declined steeply in 14 out of the 19 countries polled. The Global Service Fellowship Program offers U.S. citizens an immediate opportunity to help reverse this negative trend on a schedule that works for them—from a month up to a year. My bill provides a commonsense approach to the time limitations of the average American while also recognizing the important role people-to-people engagement can play in countering negative views of our country around the world.

Not only does this bill make it easier for all Americans to apply for fellowships, it also engages Congress by giving Members of Congress the opportunity to notify their constituents who are awarded the fellowship—and calls on the recipient to report back to USAID and to their congressional representatives once they have returned from their time abroad. Through this process, Congress will see firsthand the benefit international volunteering brings to their communities and the Nation.

This program would cost $15 million, which is more than offset by a provision in my bill that would require the IRS to deposit all of its fee receipts in the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. This program would be a valuable addition to our <public> <diplomacy, development, and humanitarian efforts overseas and I encourage my colleagues to support the bill.

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3 Responses to ““Voluntourism,” volunteering abroad ctd.”

  1. Garrett says:

    Mark –
    This is the sort of info that differentiates your site from so many others. Very valuable stuff – keep up the good work.

  2. Thanks for the compliment, Garrett. And of course for reading. I’m glad you find things here interesting and useful. Let’s hope you’re not the only one! ;)

  3. Wendy says:

    I was in the Peace Corps for four years. I find that most people do the Peace Corps after college or after retirement. I think a program that would allow people to volunteer abroad between life’s turning points, for shorter periods of time, would be very helpful in getting more people involved. I enjoyed reading this information. Thanks for sharing.

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