So what is workcamp?

An international workcamp is a unique form of voluntary service. Workcamps bring together people from different countries, cultures and backgrounds to live and work on short term projects that will be of benefit to a local community or voluntary group.

Workcamp in brief

• 10 to 15 participants from different countries plus 1-2 camp coordinators (or campleaders, or teamers)
• English as common language for communication
• together in the project for 2-4 weeks
• basic living conditions, participants cook for themselves
• learning from each other
• practical work for benefit of local community or project (usually 4-6 hours per day)
• cultural program
• minimum age of participants is 18

If you are

• open, active and independent
• want to make your vacation unusual and unforgettable
• meet like-minded people from all over the world
• learn something, share your knowledge
• experience life in international community
• like traveling with a backpack and guitar

Then international volunteer workcamp is exactly what youi??ve been looking for!

An international workcamp is a open-ended experience and depends mainly on the input of its participants. Rather than providing a definition, we would like to give prospective volunteers some guidelines for thinking about workcamps so that the decision to take part in one is better informed.

A commitment to the group experience

Part of the group experience involves reaching beyond the comforts of one own language and familiar culture. Participants would be aware of the importance of assisting everyone in speaking the stated language of the camp.

Another part of the group experience is a commitment to working out the decisions and problems together. Orders are not issued from above; rather, the group discusses and guides while the individuals decide. It is important to be willing to take part in this process, which sometimes takes time and consideration of different perspectives within the group.

Contributing fully to the work and/or study of an issue during the entire camp

The work is important. It may not always be completely to a volunteers' liking, nor is it merely set up as a means for bringing people together. There are expectations by the workcamp sponsors that the work will be done and all volunteers through directed by the workcamp and project leaders, should feel the responsibility towards doing the work and doing it well. If there is a study component of the workcamp, volunteers should inform themselves before the workcamp in order to add to the discussions.

Workcamp and local community

The workcamp represents a group of people who have come together for a relatively short period of time. They are guests within the community in which they work. There is a challenge in having the workcamp gracefully blend in with the rest of the community, especially when local customs are different. The workcampers should regard the differences as opportunities to learn, not as a source of conflict.

Being open to learning

Workcamps appeal to a broad range of people because an open mind is a far greater criterion for participation than a particular skill. Volunteers who are unskilled at certain jobs are encouraged to learn new skills. Often cultural stereotypes have to be broken to ensure that there is equal representation among jobs that are traditionally referred to as "women's work" and "men's work".

A workcamp is also an opportunity to learn from a group of people who are all of different ages. Generally the workcamp population is 18-35, but there is no upper age limit. Volunteers may find themselves challenged to work with people who fall outside their peer group, and yet they will also find it refreshing to discover that such a group can become very unified by a common purpose. Certain camps are now designated as mixed age camps.

Having a lot of self motivation

A workcamp is what each volunteer makes of it. It requires seeking out opportunities, looking to see what needs to be done, and taking responsibility. Workcampers should equally feel part of shaping the workcamp as the leaders do. Workcamps thrive on the initiatives of individuals.

Aims of workcamps

• To unite a group of individuals who have a desire to perform voluntary service and provide them with a chance to work on a project useful to the community;
• To provide assistance and support to local projects; to act as a catalyst to local voluntary effort. The work undertaken must be suitable for volunteers and not compete with paid labor;
• To promote contact between people of different cultural and social backgrounds, breaking down linguistic and cultural barriers and creating understanding and appreciation of others;
• To provide education through experience. To enable volunteers to learn the positive effects of concrete action and to recognize the interrelationship between theory and practice;
• To give people the experience of group life where all members are equal; and to permit them to learn to accept responsibility both for the work done and the functioning of the group;
• To provide an inter-cultural learning experience and the opportunity to explore a new country and a new culture in a deeper and more respectful way than as tourists;
• To integrate participants into the local community so as to learn from their hosts about the issues which concern them and their responses;
• To promote a "culture of peace" on an international, regional or national level by developing democratic and non-authoritarian structures, integration, solving problems peacefully, reducing "enemy images", respecting differences, communicating all this through working together.

Workcamp topics are:

1. anti-racism, anti-fascism, refugees and ethnic minorities
2. north-south solidarity
3. peace and disarmament
4. disabilities
5. children, teenagers, elderly people
6. environment
7. sexuality and gender
8. socially disadvantaged
9. art, culture, history
10. ideology and spirituality
11. other