Responsible for local communities
As a volunteering organization in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and Oceania, we make an impact on society and the environment. So we take over Responsibility to the respective community abroad in which we operate. This includes treating people, animals and nature with respect and responsibility, as well as recognizing and respecting all cultures and the values associated with them.
Sustainable support in our target countries is of great importance to us. All our volunteer projects are responsibly selected and adhere to the RGV Children-, Animal- And conservation guidelines. Below we explain what responsible volunteering means to us.
Guidelines for our volunteers
Through your stay abroad, you contribute to improving the situation at the project location, at the same time you get a deep insight into new ways of life and you can learn a lot of new things through intercultural exchange. There are a few things to consider for meaningful and responsible volunteer work.
As a volunteer organization, we make sure that our participants
- adhere to the cultural customs of your host country
- Make an effort to adapt to local life and be willing to learn about culture
- communicate with each other respectfully
- make a positive contribution to the local community with their commitment
- try to put yourself in the perspective of the local people and to understand their needs and concerns
Cooperation at eye level
Good cooperation with the people at our project locations is essential for us. That is why RGV volunteers should not take away any jobs on site. So you can be sure that your commitment will not jeopardize any jobs, because we attach great importance to you providing support and compensating for staff deficits with your work. With your experience, your knowledge and your commitment, you complement and enrich the work at your assignment location.
We support existing facilities and projects that require additional help and focus on the needs of local people. The projects are managed by locals. You and our RGV teams in the country can best assess what help is needed where.
We also take care of the fair remuneration of all those involved - both the RGV teams and the host families. Together we create numerous secure jobs for locals. RGV team members and host families as well as other employees such as cooks, housekeepers, drivers, cleaning staff, tour guides and language teachers thus benefit in the long term from the stays abroad of the RGV volunteers. In order to ensure sustainable support, we also avoid short-term cooperation and instead focus on long-term support.
postcolonial structures
Many of our target countries have a colonial past. On site, it can be seen that this past is still noticeable today in different ways. Volunteering providers are also often accused of perpetuating the power imbalances of the period. However, we are of the opinion that responsible volunteering can contribute to the dismantling of post-colonial ways of thinking - as long as the necessary awareness of this topic is created.
After all, a cultural exchange can enrich both sides: both you as a volunteer and the people in our target countries. It is very important to us that the dialogue with the locals is conducted as respectfully and on an equal footing as possible. For this purpose, unprejudiced, non-judgmental communication that is not didactic is particularly important.
We at RGV try to counteract postcolonial ways of thinking and structures by promoting a targeted examination of this problem and also encouraging our volunteers to sensitize themselves to it. For example, we also offer space in our preparation seminar: Led by coach Kathrin, the participants reflect together on postcolonial ways of thinking and meaningful volunteer work.
The aim of our voluntary work and internships abroad is by no means to impose western values on the local people or to promote dependencies. Equal cooperation should enable sustainable support for the assignment sites and mutual respect should be developed.
To this end, we promote an intercultural and professional exchange, from which both the people at the project locations and you benefit. Getting to know a way of life that is different from you and new perspectives not only contributes to your personal development, but also to avoiding misunderstandings and to a deeper insight in global contexts.
Respectful communication between cultures
Since 1999, RGV has been committed to promoting intercultural encounters with a global network in over 30 countries. This includes the exchange between people from different living environments as well as tolerance in all areas of cultural exchange. In addition, RGV is committed to protecting children, animals and the environment.
According to the "do-no-harm" principle, we ensure that no damage is caused by the deployment of volunteers on site. On the contrary: the voluntary work should contribute to improving the situation on site - whether for people, animals or nature.
