"I encourage all who want to make a difference in this world to serve with Global Volunteers. I began in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica in 1992. My ninth program was last summer with my son at an orphanage in Lima, Peru. On all these trips, I truly felt we were waging peace by making friends with the ordinary people of another nation. Perhaps they now have a better opinion of Americans. I have a deeper understanding of how their country works, the values that are important to them, and the miraculous similarity of us all. Besides, these programs are FUN!! I treasure the team experience. I wholeheartedly endorse Global Volunteers and its unarrogant approach to helping people in other nations.
~ Mary Ann Novotny, Global Volunteer
Global Volunteers' unique philosophy of service requires volunteers to work at the invitation and under the direction of local community partners, and one-on-one with local people. By remaining faithful to this philosophy for three decades, we've created opportunities for you to provide a genuine service to others all over the globe.
We believe that if you embrace our guiding philosophy, you will personally enjoy the richness of the people you serve, and truly wage peace in the most direct manner possible. The basic elements of this philosophy are:
- We work at the direction of local leaders
- At the invitation of community partners
- On comprehensive community-based development projects
- Hand-and-hand with local people
- With sustained, long-term goals and impacts
Above all, we're committed to integrity in all our operations, striving for program excellence and transparency in our home office and abroad.
"Links of a Chain" describes Global Volunteers' development focus.