Long Term Volunteering

If you feel that a workcamp is just not enough, you might want to try volunteering for longer period.

LTV or Long Term Volunteering is used in IAL to refer to all volunteers committing to a project outside Sweden for more than one month. The volunteer is provided with food, accommodation and some pocket money and s/he can be insured by the SCI insurance. Travel costs to the project are generally covered by the volunteer. There are no age limits to be a LTV (older than 18 though).

EVS or European Voluntary Service is a programme of the European Union for long term volunteers. This means that travel, insurance, pocket money and language course are paid by the EU. EVS is only open for volunteers between 18 and 25 years from EU countries and from the so called Programme countries. EVS volunteers are insured under the programme and can also have children's benefits during their volunteer service. There are several trainings arranged for the EVS volunteers: a pre-departure training in their home country, on-arrival training in their host country, a mid evaluation training during the project and in best an evaluation seminar in the end.

An HO or Hosting Organisation is the SCI branch (Service Civil International – www.sciint.org . IAL is the Swedish branch of the peace movement.) or partner that organises, is responsible for the project and hosts the volunteer.

An SO or Sending Organisation is the SCI branch or partner that assists the future volunteers in the application process. Usually they have an interview with the volunteer, write a recommendation letter, organise a pre-departure training and after the project is willing to involve the volunteer in its local activities.

There are mainly 3 types of projects within SCI:

1. More than half of the positions are in various kinds of communities and centres; the work in communities and centres can be organising activities for physically or mentally disabled children or adults, teaching English for orphans or participating in running the community by doing various tasks from gardening to renovation.
2. Mainly during the summer time, many LTVs work in SCI offices doing the placements of workcamp volunteers. The work is quite administrative, fairly hectic in the first months of the placement season, but working in a SCI office gives the volunteer a chance to learn a lot about SCI and participate in the activities of the branch. There are also some other office volunteer posts in the SCI and partner organisation offices and Secretariats and in other NGO's outside the summer season and focusing on other office work.
3. As well, there are Peace Messenger, Eco Messenger and Human Rights Messenger projects. In these projects, volunteers have been running workshops on their respective theme in workcamps, visiting NGO's and working on a publication on their topic.

There will be one example of a project written by a former Swedish LTV.

In order to become and LTV with IAL, volunteers have to pay a fee of 1000 SEK and be members of IAL (150 SEK).

1. be at least 18 years old;
2. to have previous workcamp experience through IAL or similar experience with other organisations;
3. good motivation and willingness to get involved in the IAL local activities.

Do NOT contact the Hosting Organisation by yourself; the exchange is planned by the organisations. Contact IAL Office or LTV working group, first!

1. Have a look at the updated vacancy list (It is updated with new projects every 2 months: January, March…). Vacancy list updated in March 2007.pdf1)
2. Contact the LTV Working Group ltv at ial dot se or the Office.
3. Fill in the application form [attachment Application form blank pdf file] and write a motivation letter. Send the documents to the LTV working group ltv at ial dot se;
4. Please attend the interview set by IAL in your region. (The LTV working group will inform you regarding the interview details);
5. IAL will send your application form, motivation letter and the recommendation letter from the interview to the Hosting Organisation;
6. Wait for an answer from IAL regarding your acceptance/rejection. Meantime, it is highly recommended that you get involved in the IAL local activities.
7. (If you are accepted) Attend the preparation pre-departure course in Stockholm and pay the fee;
8. Get in contact with your Hosting Organisation;
9. Contact IAL for any questions;
10. Make your luggage and enjoy your project .
11. When your project finishes, write a report and send it to the office and LTV working group.

If you would like to read what other volunteers did in their projects and how they enjoyed them, their hosting countries and others, look at the LT Newsletter – an SCI newsletter for long term volunteers and people interested in the topic, stories, trainings, etc. …). [attachment Last 2-3 issues of the LT Newsletter pdf file ];

How can you get involved? – Just contact the Office or the LTV working group.

The LTV working group is an IAL working group, based in Stockholm. It provides assistance and support for those who want to become long term volunteers. As well, we organise the pre-departure courses. The LTV working group is a good way to get started if you want to become a LTV. For questions or wonderings on how to get involved, please contact ltv at ial dot se. Good luck!