International Volunteering

The first University of Limerick Overseas President's Volunteer Award recipient  - Rebecca Wray 

What is International Volunteering?

The Presidents Volunteer Award (PVA) team, pva@ul.ie, is here to offer information and support to students considering volunteering overseas for global development.  Prospective volunteers should email pva@ul.ie or info@comhlamh.org for more information about volunteering for global development.

 The UL Overseas PVA is very much guided by Comhlámh Volunteer Charter and Guidelines.

We recommend all prospective overseas volunteers follow Comhlámh's Volunteer Charter:

• Reflection on your motivations for and expectations of your volunteer placement.
• Familiarise yourself with the role description and host organisation before departure.
• Respect local customs and adopt the role of learner and guest.
• Act always in a professional manner and be flexible and adaptable while in your placement.
• Take due care of your personal safety and physical and mental health.
• Channel the experiences and knowledge gained while overseas into Irish society.
• Accept and sign a copy of the Volunteer Charter principles.  

The PVA strongly recommend prospective overseas student volunteers follow best practice by arranging with Comhlámh to take part in pre and post overseas training opportunities. Therefore the second step towards overseas volunteering should be emailing info@comhlamh.org to find out training dates. (N.B. if there are a number of students interested email pva@ul.ie and we will arrange on campus training). 

Knolwedge is Power:    The PVA strongly recommend that you do your research before deciding - here are some great links that will build your knowledge in this area.

European Voluntary Service (EVS)   (The European Voluntary Service (EVS) gives 18-25 year olds the opportunity to spend from 3 weeks to 12 months in another European country, as a volunteer on a project which benefits the local community. It is funded by the EC, so the young person has all costs paid for (travel, insurance, accommodation, language tuition etc).  Learn all about EVS on the Leargas website. Leargas are the national agency which promote and support EVS volunteering:

Dochas :  Guide to choosing an effective overseas development NGO. Visit the Dochas website for great tips on recognising effective NGOs, with their guide on questions to ask and special website on emergency help, 'How You Can Help'. Taking pictures while you are overseas? Read the Dochas guide to good images.

Galway One World Centre : GOWC is a meeting point for people looking for information on a variety of development topics, including Human Rights, Anti-Racism, and Globalisation. They are located in Galway - drop in for a visit!

Irish Aid - Volunteer Centre : The Irish Aid website acts as a guide to volunteering, allowing the individual to review all the options available to them - short term, long term, online volunteering or volunteering in Ireland in support of overseas development. This website also helps individuals to start thinking about volunteering, to look at the various options, question why they want to volunteer, and what they want to get out of their assignment.

Idealist.org : The Idealist.org International Volunteerism Resource Center (IVRC) is an online resource designed to help you make informed decisions about volunteering in another country.

Washington Ireland Program : The Washington-Ireland Program for Service and Leadership (WIP), is a six-month programme of personal and professional development that brings outstanding Protestant and Catholic university students from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to Washington, DC for summer internships and leadership training. The program begins and ends with practical service in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

World Volunteer Web : The World Volunteer Web supports the volunteer community by serving as a global clearinghouse for information and resources linked to volunteerism that can be used for campaigning, advocacy and networking. It is an online hub where the community can meet, share resources and coordinate activities to mobilize volunteer action in support of the Millennium Development Goals.

United Nations Volunteers: The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is the UN organization that contributes to peace and development through volunteerism worldwide. Volunteerism is a powerful means of engaging people in tackling development challenges, and it can transform the pace and nature of development. Volunteerism benefits both society at large and the individual volunteer by strengthening trust, solidarity and reciprocity among citizens, and by purposefully creating opportunities for participation.

Department of Foreign Affairs: The Department of Foreign Affairs' website offers a range of information that will be of use to people who are travelling overseas. This includes information on passports, visas and insurance. Read the travel advice!

Tropical Medical Bureau: Important medical updates and summaries - a must read!