Abstract

Thinking of volunteering overseas (this summer, or in the future)? Will it be worthwhile? Can you really make a difference?

Come and join us in a discussion on the value of overseas volunteering with Dr Jamie Lorimer (Lecturer at Oxford University), Marion O’Donnell (VSO), Mal Mitchell (Azafady), John Lawler (Madventurer) and Ian Steed (Cambridge Humanitarian Centre).

- Are badly planned and supported ‘voluntourism’ schemes having a negative impact on young people and they communities they work with? - Is the volunteering sector catering to the needs of volunteers, rather than the communities they claim to support? - Would young people who want to make a difference through volunteering be better off travelling and experiencing different cultures, rather than wasting time on projects that have no impact and can leave a big hole in their wallet? - What do you think about the value of overseas volunteering?

Dr Lorimer will start by outlining some recent developments in the volunteering sector. Each of the speakers will briefly explain their organizations’ policies and philosophies on volunteering. We will then have an extended discussion, with points of information and questions from the floor.

Afterwards, there will be a chance to speak to Cambridge students who have volunteered with some of the organizations in the past to find out about their experiences of overseas volunteering.