Sep
23
Written by:
SuperUser Account
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Comhlámh, the Irish Association of Development workers is advising people currently considering volunteering for global development to inform themselves carefully about their volunteer placement and reflect carefully on their motivations for volunteering. According to Anne Reilly, Manager of the Comhlámh Volunteering Options Programme, volunteer sending agencies are seeing an increasing number of enquiries from people recently made redundant who are seeking to escape the current labor market situation in Ireland and pass on their skills to projects in developing countries.
“We urge all potential volunteers (whether short or long term) to carefully consider their own personal motivations for wanting to go. Thinking carefully and realistically about what you expect to achieve on your placement helps people prepare for living and working in a host community. This is a critical part of the preparation.” – Reilly points out.
Would be volunteers should consider issues such as global inequality and poverty and how this might impact on their work overseas. “Global development is extremely complex. Awareness of the bigger picture can help people understand forces that might shape events at local level is a big help”.
With this in mind, Comhlámh is organizing a number of events giving impartial practical advice to those considering overseas volunteering. Expert staff will be on hand at the Annual NUIG Volunteering Fair tomorrow – Thursday 24th September and also at the Irish Aid Volunteering Fair on Saturday 26th September. A 2 day introductory course to volunteering in global development is being organized by Comhlámh on the 10th & 11th October in Dublin. Other information and training sessions are also provided by the Volunteering Options Programme – log on to www.volunteeringoptions.org
For more information please log on to:
www.volunteeringoptions.org
For all media enquires / photos and interview requests please contact:
Orla Purcell
Marketing & Communications Officer
Comhlámh
Ballast House
Aston Quay
Dublin 2
Tel 086 6057870
Email orla@comhlamh.org
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