Responsible Travel: Volunteer Placement Organization

By Kate | Permalink |

No Comments | May 20th, 2007 | Trackback

“Responsible travel” is a regular part of our vocabulary nowadays, but the folks at ResponsibleTravel.com report that as recently as 2001, they were the first to use it in the way it’s understood today, and with the backing of The Body Shoppe founder Anita Roddick, no less. They organize all kinds of travel – budget, luxury, adventure, and of course, volunteer travel, all under the umbrella of volunteer travel. You can read about them as an organization, and as there are obviously many interpretations of what responsible travel is, they provide various links within the page – and within others – which lead to more detailed information about what they believe and have done.

A sample of their volunteer trips:
You can participate in a community project in a tsunami-affected area of Sri Lanka, primarily teaching informal English but also assisting in whatever facet of the project needs it – planting trees, renovating buildings, or cleaning beaches. From £845 – 1745 (for 2-11 weeks).

Or, you can spend 2 – 8 weeks in South Africa, in connection with an organization which focuses its work on “men on the side of the road” – men who hope to pick up casual physical labor work and wait by the side of the road. This organization not only by provides shelter and facilities for these men, but also organizes skills training and other activities such as lobbying for connected human rights issues. (£1055 for four weeks)

Last but not least, you can survey the chamois (mountain goat) in the Tatras of Slovakia – playing a role in the investigation of the case of this critically endangered animal; there is currently debate over whether the population decrease is due to natural predators or human activities/global climate change. £990 for 14 days, including accommodation

Do have a look around this site to see what’s on offer and to get a sense of the work they’ve done and currently do.