Give Back By Volunteering Abroad

Every year, thousands of American students study abroad at universities around the globe. Many thousands more miss out the opportunity for a variety of reasons. Whether taking an entire semester off doesn’t fit into a university schedule, whether it’s too expensive, or whether four to six months is too long to be away from home, sometimes, studying abroad just is not possible.
Luckily, there are far more programs that get people into foreign countries than merely studying abroad. Volunteering abroad is just one fine alternative. It costs less, it can be for any amount of time, and it doesn’t require sitting in a classroom, though many volunteer abroad programs offer college credit options.
Volunteering abroad has a far greater and more positive impact than merely traveling to another country. Even though many countries around the globe rely on the tourism industry, sometimes those extra people are hard country, as well as on the land itself. If you’re working with people, volunteering allows for more close contact with the locals, and a chance to learn more of a country’s history and their local customs.
When volunteering to help a country protect biodiversity, it’s easy to see that the work actually does make a difference. Whether it is planting native species, cleaning up freshwater sources, or helping to protect endangered species, environmental volunteers can rest assured that the work they have completed has helped to protect and preserve an important part of the world.
Potential volunteers should know that the programs are not ‘all volunteer and no play,’ because many incorporate travel and sightseeing into the volunteer schedules. This is a fantastic way to see a country, and feel like you’ve lessened your impact on it by giving back.
A common side affect of volunteering abroad is a desire to volunteer back at home. Many former international volunteers have returned home only to continue to volunteer. After doing what you can to help people around the world, it feels great to lend a hand to those in need a little closer to home.
Volunteering abroad is a wonderful way to give back to the country you are visiting. To be able to travel, and for a country to welcome visitors from around the world is a gift. Volunteering is another way to say thank you.
(for more information, visit our website here)

Study Abroad - Earn College Credit While Travelling

Studying abroad is one of the most incredible things that students can do while in college. There is hardly another time in life when people are as free and able to just pick up and move to another country for a few months as they are in college. Even if it takes an extra semester or two to graduate, studying abroad is an opportunity not to be missed.
Traveling to another country is always fun, but it’s always too fast, too short. When studying abroad, students really get to know a country, its customs, and its people. There is only so much that can be learned from a book or the Internet. Studying abroad for four to six months allows students an insider’s look at the country in which they are living.
Meeting new people is a given when studying abroad. Students attend classes with local students as well as study abroad students from other countries, and form relationships that last a lifetime. This is another great way for international students to get to know their surroundings. Local students will be able to help study abroad students see things and places that aren’t mentioned on travel brochures, and it’s always better to experience new places with new friends.
When studying abroad, students get the chance to learn and practice foreign languages, which are helpful in many realms of life. Familiarity with local dialects and phrases makes and student’s study abroad semester pass more smoothly. Even if student’s grasp on the local language is minimal in the beginning, within weeks they will be speaking like the natives.
Especially when studying abroad in Europe, students are presented with many opportunities to travel to different countries. Rail passes and plane tickets can be inexpensive, and nowhere is too far for a quick weekend visit when you’re already so close. Studying abroad is a perfect time for students to see a lot of the world in just a little bit of time. At no other time in a person’s life is traveling quite so simple.
These are only a few reasons why studying abroad is a very important and life changing decision. Living in a different country and experiencing a different culture for an extended period of time changes a person’s views and opinions of the world. After spending time abroad, home is never the same, and a person always ends up changed for the better.
(for more information, visit our website here)

Human Rights

All men are not created equal. True we are all essentially born the same way, but human beings have very different environments in which we reside, and a large majority of the population has no real choice in the matter. Depending on where you’re born, who your parents are and what opportunities or restrictions exist in this region; it all has a major influence on the life you may lead. There is nobody to blame, it’s just the way things are.
Ever since the primitive structure of modern society was formed a general deprivation of basic human rights has existed. Women have long been objectified and considered less of merely because of their sex, while men and women alike have been looked down upon and treated abysmally due to their race. Women assistance volunteer abroad and intern abroad projects in countries like India or Brazil can help you understand the issues that we, as global citizens, are facing.
Other countless violations of human rights have been brought on due to war and hostile territories, political leaders, rebellions, “unusual” lifestyles, sexual orientation, cultural differences and extremities of wealth. By helping to eradicate this abusive behavior we can provide security of basic freedoms such as self-expression, relief from hunger, poverty, and discrimination in order to stride forward to a more peaceful society.
You can learn more and help by interning abroad or joining one of the many volunteer projects around the world directed toward gaining equal rights for all.
Anup Shah, Human Rights Issues, Global Issues, Updated: October 27, 2009
(to find out more about Link to Diversity, visit our website here. Article orginally published here)

Volunteer in Ghana - Change the Future of Africa

When people consider volunteering in Africa, it’s because they have a desire to lend a hand to a continent’s worth of people and animals that desperately need external help to continue to exist. Even in Ghana, one of Africa’s more stable countries, volunteers are needed each and every day to help it’s culture continue to grow and thrive.
Since the early 1980’s, Ghana has held a peaceful democracy, and is a model for the rest of Africa. Political power has been passed from hand to hand on two separate elections without conflict. As cities and business in Ghana continue to grow, each year the country becomes more and more of a hot spot for study abroad students, as well as international volunteers.
Volunteers in Ghana have many choices in programs. Whether interests lie in aiding families, teaching, building homes, or helping with health care, there is a program for every type of volunteer.
Teaching English to African students is an extremely important and fun volunteering opportunity. Proficiency in English opens many doors for the youth of Africa, just as fluency in a second language is beneficial worldwide. Being able to speak English makes communication with the rest of the world possible for Ghanaians, and makes trade go more smoothly. Volunteering to help them learn is very rewarding.
Many Ghanaians who live outside of large urban areas are living in inadequate housing, and children attend school in buildings that are practically falling down. Volunteers who help build in Ghana are helping to create new houses and schools in which Ghanaians can feel safe and secure, as well as leaving a mark on Ghana’s people and landscape for a long time to come.
As with much of Africa, Ghana is very much in need of health care improvements. With risks to diseases such as bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, yellow fever, AIDS and malaria, health care needs to be a top priority. Because of limited access to large health care facilities, Ghanaians benefit greatly from basic health care education. Volunteers are crucial in this field, and can help teach simple hygiene, disease prevention, and sexual education. With training, volunteers can perform basic physical exams, as well as aid in administering vaccines to both children and at risk adults. Those who volunteer in the field of health care can rest assured that they are making a difference in the future of Africa.
(for more information, visit our website here)

New Opportunity in Mexico

We are offering a new volunteer abroad program in Mexico! Click here to see the listing, or read below.
Highlights: TLALOC accepts anyone and everyone regardless their sex, disabilities, religion, and of course, under age with their parents permit. An important matter about TLALOC is that we offer discounts and try our best to help the participants to save as much as possible by providing them with a Mexican host family where they can enjoy the typical Mexican dishes and practice their Spanish in a daily basis the way it is spoken in Mexico at a very reasonable price!
Requirements and Qualifications: None, only the desire to come and help make a difference in the different areas where it is most needed.
Experience: None, there´s no experience necessary at all.
Languages: Mostly Spanish, but if the prospect participants don´t know the language (yet). They can study with us for a week or two in order to learn it how to get by.
Volunteer Type: Animal Protection Association, Tourism, Children´s Hospital, Reforestation, 2 Orphanages (1 is from the government and the other one is Christian, Journalism (TV, Radio and newspapers), Human Rights, An industrial design opportunity, Elder asylum, Law enforcement, Health services, Alcohol and drug rehabilitation, Restaurant & hotels, Nutritionist, Teaching English, Women with cancer, Veterinary assistance, AIDS charity, Helping build shelters, Feeding the homeless, Young pregnancy, Social Services, Helping people with different disabilities, Getting kids off the street, Bring donations, Language exchange, Dental services, Domestic violence.
Age: 18 (children and teenagers can also participate alone or with their parents)
Restrictions: None
Pay/Compensation: N/A (there maybe opportunities to earn some cash, but not always)
Type of work/duties: It all depends in what area.
Cost: From $60 USD
Cost Included: All the orientation and support during their stay and participation in this program.
Cost not included: The Spanish lessons and/or the lodging
Living Specifications: The participants can stay with a Mexican host family and/or rent a furnished apartment.
Service provider: TLALOC has received over 50 participants in the last 5 years! Don´t hesitate to check the testimonials in our website so that you can hear directly form their own experiences. Most of them are willing to comeback and some of them have done it! They have come from different countries, specially the US and Canada, also Japan, England and even Russia. TLALOC doens´t only teach Spanish and helps out to get a volunteering position, but also gets to have dancing lessons, cooking lessons, history and tradition lessons, and much more…
To receive more information about this program please fill out “Request More Info” form (featured on Link to Diversity site).
(for more information on Link to Diversity, visit our website here. For more volunteer abroad opportunities, visit here)

See a Different Mexico, Volunteer

Mexico is a country of rich history, of beautiful landscapes, of amazing food, and of unique culture. Unfortunately, much of Mexico’s population suffers from and ongoing economic and social problems, which force many Mexican families to fall below the poverty line, despite the fact that they are working.
For these reasons, among others, Mexico needs volunteers. They need people ready and willing to get down and dirty. They need volunteers who don’t mind hard work, like mixing concrete and laying brick to build or restore homes for families. Volunteers who want to play outside with children, and teach them to play games and songs as well as to read and write.
Since Mexico shares a border with the United States, many Mexicans speak at least some English. Many are bilingual. Even so, volunteering in Mexico makes for a perfect opportunity to brush up on those Spanish skills that have been slipping away. It’s amazing how quickly conversational Spanish returns when you’re immersed in a Spanish speaking country.
Mexico has 5800 miles of coast along the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, and needs volunteers to help protect various endangered species, like Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. Environmental volunteers get the best of both worlds when in Mexico. They work hard to protect the environment, and they are able to enjoy Mexico’s beautiful beaches.
As a result of overpopulation in urban areas, much of Mexico’s freshwater supply is contaminated. The US government considers the lack of fresh water a national security issue, and with the help of volunteers, river water can be cleaned, industrial waste can be contained, and fresh water can become more widely available for all.
Volunteering in Mexico is an experience to treasure for a lifetime. Mexican people are grateful for all the help they receive from international volunteers, and many will show their gratitude with copious amounts of delicious traditional food. Families will never forget the people who helped build their new home, and those who played with and taught their children while they couldn’t.
It is one thing to visit a country, drink their booze, and lay on their beaches. Anybody can travel to Mexico and have a wonderful, party-filled vacation. It is something completely different to make a difference in individual lives by lending a helping hand while experiencing all that you do on vacation and more. Volunteering in Mexico is a truly rewarding and humbling experience.
(for more information, visit our website here)

New Volunteer Abroad Program - South Africa

We are offering a new volunteer abroad program in South Africa! Click here to see the listing, or read below.
Program Type: Wild EDGE: Big 5, Elephant Conservation & Community Conservation Combination Project
Organization: EDGE of AFRICA
Description:
Become part of the rehabilitation team as you work closely with the community to develop and rehabilitate an environmental area in the centre of Kayalethu Township. And lastly, we believe that conservation relies on community appreciation and understanding. Through our ‘Workshops with Local Kids’ project, you can help up sow the seed of respect and passion for South Africa’s Natural Heritage. The project allows you to experience and contribute towards every aspect of conservation in South Africa!
Highlights:

• Managing and maintaining the cheetah breeding project
• Work with the Big 5
• Elephant interactions and research
• Community Conservation Education
• Reforestation with the township community
• Get involved in every aspect of Conservation in the beautiful Garden Route

Requirements and Qualifications: On Application
Experience: Specific wildlife/ conservation experience is not necessary, however veterinary students, biology and zoology students and professionals would greatly benefit from this project.
Languages: English
Volunteer Type: Volunteer Placements, School Groups, Corporate Team Building
Age: 18+ (unless supervised by adult)
Restrictions: Medical Certificate Necessary
Pay/Compensation: None
Type of work/duties:
An indication of some of the topics you may be experiencing:

• Game capture and translocation
• Tracking and monitoring released cheetah on foot
• Managing and maintaining cheetah breeding projects
• Elephant interactions
• Teach local kids the importance of their natural environment in fun, relaxed workshops (no experience necessary)
• Learn how to approach wild animals on foot
• Marine and forest research
• General reserve duties including erosion control, vegetation rehabilitation and road and fence maintenance.
• Visit Addo Elephant Park
• Assist with a community Reforestation Project

Cost: 2235GBP 6 Weeks
Cost Included:

• EDGE Volunteer Fee
• (minimum stay 2 weeks, maximum stay 3 months-project dependent) will include the following:
• The confidence that every effort will be made to ensure your safety and enjoyment during your stay
• Pre-departure support and information
• Travel arrangements to and from the project (On allocated days)
• Accommodation
• Food
• Project related transport
• Thorough orientation to area and chosen project
• First day introduction to project and colleagues
• Project support and feedback sessions throughout your stay
• Assistance with optional activities and tours

Cost not included:

• Flights & Visas
• Travel insurance (necessity!)
• Excursions & optional activities
• Post placement transport

Living Specifications:
Comfortable accommodation is provided. Private rooms can be arranged on request.
EDGE of AFRICA: Providing TRUE and full African experiences which not only benefit the projects but gives the gift of understanding Africa’s REAL cultural and environmental heritage.
Service provider:
We work in association with a number of specialists and enthusiasts towards CREATING SUSTAINABLE SOLITIONS and EMPOWERING LOCAL INITATIVES in Africa. We are not agents- we develop our own volunteer projects, all of which work towards the up-liftment and preservation of what lies closest to our hearts- African Heritage. We are represented by agents worldwide and our team continues to grow with the addition of dedicated international and local volunteers.
To receive more information about this program please fill out “Request More Info” form (featured on Link to Diversity site).
(for more information on Link to Diversity, visit our website here. For more volunteer abroad opportunities, visit here)

Volunteer Abroad- See the World While Making a Difference

In times like these, when family, friends, neighbors, and close communities need help, the idea of donating precious time and becoming and international volunteer can seem absurd. There are so many reasons to volunteer close to home. It’s easier, it’s more convenient, and there is no large plane ticket to buy so it is substantially cheaper. Those reasons, and many more, are exactly why people who are able should consider one of many volunteer abroad programs.
Because it’s easy, inexpensive, and because so many people are willing to help their neighbors in the United States, means that volunteers come quickly and easily to many programs in need. There are many places in the world that suffer far worse than the United States, which makes volunteers all the more necessary, but also less common.
The fact of the matter is that countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America do not have enough people who can care for their own families as well donate significant time to help out others. That is why they need you. They need you to help build homes, to educate their children, to clean up after natural disasters, and to help bring life back in to those who have been dealt an incredibly difficult hand.
The world is a huge place, but it is getting smaller each and every day. There is hardly a place that is not connected to the rest of the world. It is well past time to bring small and needy countries up to date with the rest of the world. Don’t they deserve adequate housing? Don’t their children deserve a good education? Are their native plant and animal species not as important as everyone else’s?
Now is the time for you to make a difference. Now is the time to travel the world, and do your part to help at the same time. Volunteering abroad is exhilarating and rewarding, and is an experience to keep for a lifetime. It plants a seed in a person’s heart that makes them want to continue making the world a better place. Whether it’s at home or in the far reaches of the world, if you volunteer once, you’re a volunteer for life.
There are many programs and projects for international volunteers, and more information is just a click away at linktodiversity.com.

Power Imbalance

In 2008, world military expenditure was estimated to have reached $1.464 trillion in current dollars. Not surprisingly, the United States is the principal determinant of this current world trend with its military expenditure now accounting for just under half of the world’s total.

SIPRI – an independent research institute focusing on international security, arms control, and disarmament – concludes increases in military spending is due to additional factors such as foreign policy objectives, real or perceived threats, armed conflict in peacekeeping operations and the availability of economic resources.
In recent years, with China and India rapidly developing, they have become great destinations for international travel, stimulating economic growth even further, and enabling them to spend more of their budget on military expenses.
“Linking military spending to the GDP is an argument frequently made by supporters of higher military budgets… the question today is whether current military spending levels are necessary and whether these funds are going towards the proper priorities.” – Chris Hellman, The Runaway Military Budget: An Analysis, March 2006.
You can learn more by interning abroad or joining volunteer abroad projects designed to attain power balance and equality in order to create a more peaceful world.
Anup Shah, G8: Too Much Power?, Global Issues, Created: June 10, 2007
(to find out more about Link to Diversity, visit our website here. This article was featured here)

Global Issues

Do you think it is fair that your grandparents saw far more plants than you do now?
Do children in Africa have to die every day because they have no food while the resources are available and nothing is being done?
Should polar bears drown in the ocean while their home is melting away?
Should CEO’s receive millions of dollars in bonuses while workers make $10 per day?
Do you think all men are created equal? If so, why doesn’t your neighbor think so?
Should women have to suffer because they are not men?
Do you think they have a right to ship your son overseas and have him killed in a war that is not what you would be fighting for?
Why does one have a private jet, and the other can’t even afford a bicycle?
Why do you have the water to shower for hours, and he doesn’t have the water to drink?
Do you feel like these are hard to answer questions? Do you think these questions have more than one answer?
Can we determine where we are at now? Can we say where we will be tomorrow?
Where have we arrived? Can we get ourselves out of it? Can we change what is waiting for us tomorrow?
Without a penny, there wouldn’t be a dollar. Volunteer Abroad, Study Abroad, Intern Abroad, Travel – Find your link to our diverse world! Learn how you can change it, act. Be a penny, and contribute to be a dollar. Remember, “We can’t change the world, unless we change ourselves!” Let’s act together and change the world for the better.
(To find out more about Link to Diversity, visit our website here)

Globalization

Globalization is changing the markets and environments in which organizations operate. Globalization has also changed the way they function in these environments. This term has become very popular over the past couple of years. Mass media likes to refer to it as an increasing freedom for international trade and capital movements (capital mobility and capital flight).
A lot has changed during the past couple of years. Across the globe, new governments, new leaderships, new countries and new markets are emerging thus creating a new global economy which is becoming integrated more and more every day. Just at the end of the 20th centuries we had witnessed the fall of great nations and we have also witnessed the growth and emergences of new great nations and powers. As Soviet Union collapsed, 15 new countries have emerged. The rise of China and India has transformed the way business is done today. Companies are outsourcing a lot of services and their processes overseas. There are a number of calling centers in India for example and China has become the world’s major producer and manufacturer. Such changes create great opportunities for us to intern, volunteer and study abroad. It really doesn’t matter what you decide to do. Whether you go study abroad in Sydney, Australia or whether you intern in India or China you will experience something you have never experienced before. Through culture immersive programs abroad or professional programs abroad, you will directly experience globalization first hand.
Technology has changed the way we do business dramatically. Managers in New York and Dubai no longer have to travel thousands of miles to have a meeting. Virtual conference calls reduced the cost of conducting business and the ease of doing it. A lot of business schools require their students to have international experience nowadays because workplace has become very competitive and employers are looking for more experienced and flexible workforce. Bachelor’s degree has become an average and not enough. More and more students realize that to stay competitive in the workforce it is necessary to attain Masters Degrees and build as much experience and credentials as possible. LinkToDiversity.com provides a great selection of programs abroad that you can participate in and build not only your personal and professional experience, but also contribute to communities in need all over the world. Volunteer, Intern, or Study abroad and see how many more doors will open to you!
“We can’t change the world, unless we change ourselves!” – Notorious B.I.G.
(to find out more about Link to Diversity, visit our website here. Article orginally published here)

New Series of Posts

Over the next few days, we are hoping to showcase a number of articles featured on our website. Our hope is that by doing this, we can raise awareness on a number of topics we believe are important. Most will be on globalization, and on opportunities being offered to help out around the world. We hope you enjoy.

-The Link To Diversity Team