Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Overseas Volunteer Work

Options
  • 10-02-2009 5:19pm
    #1
    samsamson
    Registered Users Posts: 376 ✭✭


    Are there any volunteer trips over the summer organised by UCD itself? I'd be interested in doing a trip away for a couple of weeks as a volunteer somewhere if they do. Any info would be great!


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    dyl10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭dyl10


    There were a lot of leaflets around the lecture halls in the Newman building about "overseas volunteer work" on Monday.
    Don't know who they were from, maybe somebody here can shed some light...


  • Options
    #3
    bnt
    Registered Users Posts: 13,009 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    These volunteer schemes assume that you will pay all travel and accommdation costs, in addition to having you work for nothing. Are your parents rich?

    Death has this much to be said for it:
    You don’t have to get out of bed for it.
    Wherever you happen to be
    They bring it to you—free.

    — Kingsley Amis



  • Options
    #4
    dyl10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭dyl10


    I always assumed they provided accommodation :eek:


  • Options
    #5
    samsamson
    Registered Users Posts: 376 ✭✭samsamson


    bnt wrote: »
    These volunteer schemes assume that you will pay all travel and accommdation costs, in addition to having you work for nothing. Are your parents rich?

    Sadly not. :(


  • Options
    #6
    994
    Closed Accounts Posts: 911 ✭✭✭994


    bnt wrote: »
    These volunteer schemes assume that you will pay all travel and accommdation costs, in addition to having you work for nothing. Are your parents rich?

    You're supposed to fund raise (i.e., bully strangers into paying for your holiday)


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    delta_bravo
    Registered Users Posts: 4,567 ✭✭✭delta_bravo


    Anyone had the crazy aussie give them a lecture address? Quite impressive how fast he can speak :)


  • Options
    #8
    Colin1986
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭Colin1986


    samsamson wrote: »
    Are there any volunteer trips over the summer organised by UCD itself? I'd be interested in doing a trip away for a couple of weeks as a volunteer somewhere if they do. Any info would be great!

    UCD Volunteers Overseas send about 80 students to different countries around the wold every summer, but I'm pretty sure all places are filled for this year. Interviews normally take place around November time.
    bnt wrote: »
    These volunteer schemes assume that you will pay all travel and accommdation costs, in addition to having you work for nothing. Are your parents rich?

    I love the way everybody on here always talks as though they are experts on everything. This isn't true. You fundraise 1500 euro that covers travel expenses and accommodation for the 4 week placement.

    It is not an expensive trip at all, unless you want it to be. (I've did it comfortably for about 300 euro - and that's your spending money, you're there to work, not play, so you can spend even less if you want to)

    Oh, and bnt, try not to look down your nose at people and be snide because they have the balls to try and do something for other people.. That's what's called an arm-chair expert..


  • Options
    #9
    bnt
    Registered Users Posts: 13,009 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    Colin1986 wrote: »
    I love the way everybody on here always talks as though they are experts on everything. This isn't true. You fundraise 1500 euro that covers travel expenses and accommodation for the 4 week placement.
    ...
    Oh, and bnt, try not to look down your nose at people and be snide because they have the balls to try and do something for other people.. That's what's called an arm-chair expert..
    By "you paying for it" I include "fundraising", of course: you have to hit up other people for money. Do you seriously expect other people to fund your working holiday, in the current economic climate? I'm not saying it can't happen, but I think it unlikely. Your "fundraising" will inevitably fall short, and you (or your parents) will be expected to make up the remainder.

    Where do you get the idea that I'm looking down my nose at volunteer work? I think it's a great idea, I'm just not that keen on the way it's done in practice: the advertised volunteer schemes that this thread is about. It costs money to travel to a foreign country and stay there for months, which is fine if you (or your benefactors) actually have the money. You read way too much in to what I actually said.

    Death has this much to be said for it:
    You don’t have to get out of bed for it.
    Wherever you happen to be
    They bring it to you—free.

    — Kingsley Amis



  • Options
    #10
    dyl10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,355 ✭✭✭dyl10


    Colin1986 wrote: »
    I love the way everybody on here always talks as though they are experts on everything.

    I love how generalising your post is :rolleyes:


  • Options
    #11
    Colin1986
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭Colin1986


    bnt wrote: »
    By "you paying for it" I include "fundraising", of course: you have to hit up other people for money. Do you seriously expect other people to fund your working holiday, in the current economic climate? I'm not saying it can't happen, but I think it unlikely. Your "fundraising" will inevitably fall short, and you (or your parents) will be expected to make up the remainder.

    Where do you get the idea that I'm looking down my nose at volunteer work? I think it's a great idea, I'm just not that keen on the way it's done in practice: the advertised volunteer schemes that this thread is about. It costs money to travel to a foreign country and stay there for months, which is fine if you (or your benefactors) actually have the money. You read way too much in to what I actually said.

    It's not difficult to fundraise, it just takes a bit of hard graft. Ask anybody who's actually ever done some. Most fundraising goes way over the required amount, and the extra money goes towards the various projects.

    If you go bag-packing, people will throw you a euro or two, and it will all add up. This is how fund-raising works. You don't go looking for lump-sums off people. I don't think the "economic climate" is going to mean people who do that are breaking the bank.

    And it's not "funding my working holiday". It's called charity. This is the way every charity in the world operates. People who don't want to give up their time working contribute financially in order to make whatever difference they can and allow others to do what they can't.

    And I got the idea that you wee looking down your nose at people who volunteer when you remarked that you have to have "rich parents" to do it, and so implied that it's something exclusive to upper-class ranks. This is a snide remark in my opinion, and couldn't be further from the truth.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    gubbie
    Registered Users Posts: 2,134 ✭✭✭gubbie


    Colin1986 wrote: »
    It's not difficult to fundraise, it just takes a bit of hard graft. Ask anybody who's actually ever done some. Most fundraising goes way over the required amount, and the extra money goes towards the various projects.

    If you go bag-packing, people will throw you a euro or two, and it will all add up. This is how fund-raising works. You don't go looking for lump-sums off people. I don't think the "economic climate" is going to mean people who do that are breaking the bank.

    And it's not "funding my working holiday". It's called charity. This is the way every charity in the world operates. People who don't want to give up their time working contribute financially in order to make whatever difference they can and allow others to do what they can't.

    And I got the idea that you wee looking down your nose at people who volunteer when you remarked that you have to have "rich parents" to do it, and so implied that it's something exclusive to upper-class ranks. This is a snide remark in my opinion, and couldn't be further from the truth.

    Its funny how your posts make it sound like your looking down your nose at people who don't volunteer.

    I agree with bnt that it is predominantly an upper/middle class thing purely because not that people can't raise money, but because they have to work for the summer so as to fund their college year


  • Options
    #13
    Colin1986
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭Colin1986


    gubbie wrote: »
    Its funny how your posts make it sound like your looking down your nose at people who don't volunteer.

    Where did you get that idea from? All I did was respond defensively to the poster whom, in my opinion, was looking down his nose at people who do it. It would be pretty outrageous if I was looking down on people who don't do it.

    I just can't understand why people on these threads always reply in that tone whenever anybody comes on looking for information about volunteering.

    My theory is that people who like to sit back and judge everything and everybody from the comfort of a psyeudonym and an armchair get defensive when somone comes on who might actually have an interest in doing something about a problem rather than pointing fingers anonymously.

    And I'm not saying that that's everybody on these forums, cos it's not, I'm just saying that they tend to attract those sorts of people.
    gubbie wrote: »
    I agree with bnt that it is predominantly an upper/middle class thing purely because not that people can't raise money, but because they have to work for the summer so as to fund their college year

    Once again, this isn't true. Having to work for the summer doesn't mean you're working class. Anyone living at home with their parents won't have to work for the summer to fund their college year, perhaps the trips are more suited to people living at home, but this doesn't make them upper/middle class.

    Furthermore, the trip is four weeks. You can still work for the summer and give up four weeks to work for charity. Lots of people do it. I have been away with two different charities and on both projects there were lots of people from working, middle, and upper classes. So I don't buy that.


Advertisement