My idea of international service work prior to this course was one that could be characterized as romantic similar to that of many naive students with a passion to serve. As Adam David said in his article, “it seems to be so clear that Service Is Good… that we do not need to question service or to talk about it; we only need to do it”. Prior to this course, I never questioned the idea that service can be bad for those on the receiving end, when it fact, it can do more harm than good in some cases.
I am personally still for international service work, but only when it is executed by individuals who take the time to educate themselves about international work as a whole, and on the needs of the community that they will be directly effecting. Many “D.I.Y” activist for international service work/aide find themselves in situations that are hurtful to both themselves and their community when they attempt to jump into communities to “fix” all of their problems. I don’t agree with this form of international work and I definitely advocate a more patient approach taken by the volunteers, while working more closely with the community to address any issues.
In order to conduct international service work while abroad I would recommend the plan of action that we learned to take in the FSD training session. Before even arriving in-country, a volunteer should first do their “homework” on the country that they are visiting to learn more about their political, economic and especially their unique culture, so that they have an understanding of the society that they will be working to assist in various ways. Once in-country, a volunteer should keep in mind, with each decision that he/she makes, that the idea of international volunteering should be centered around the community sustaining themselves. One important visual tool that I took away from the FSD training was the emphasis of the “Development Power Ladder”. The community remaining in control will result in the members of the community being active participants, provide information sources to advance the community, and of course receive the benefits of the changing community. This is a recipe for success and I believe once implemented in communities, real social change will be felt by the members of that society.
Maya.