Maximizing the Positive Value
of your Stay -
Suggested Volunteer Norms
A volunteer stay in a community can
be an extremely rewarding experience, in which one is able to
do worthwhile work, while making good friends and getting to
enjoy a unique and unforgettable natural setting. Anyone contemplating
such a stay should be sure that their motivations are compatible
with those of the community - i.e., to conserve their natural
resources while protecting their community, and the integrity
of its families and traditional values.
Visitors should be sensitive to and
respectful of local community norms, and avoid behavior which
might be perfectly OK at home, but potentially damaging in a
small rural third world setting. In particular, one should avoid
actions which may be viewed as disrespectful to the community
or its members, or which could form a negative impression of
foreign visitors.
Respectful visitors will avoid for
example excessive public consumption of alcohol, the use of illegal
drugs, the wearing of very provocative clothing, or making any
disparaging or insulting remarks about local customs or community
members. Please think twice before giving gifts to individual
community members - it is usually preferable to donate to the
community as a whole to avoid jealousies or competition for visitor
favors. And please avoid forming casual intimate relations with
community members, which can undermine community moral standards,
leave bad impressions of foreign visitors, and can be potentially
very damaging to community health and family values.
Remember - a respectful volunteer
visit can be the most rewarding experience of your lifetime,
and one that may have a long-term positive impact on a community.
