Remember ME - You Me and Dementia

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Global India: Alternative to Peace Corp

THE PEACE Corps traces its roots and mission to 1960, when then American president John F Kennedy challenged Americans to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. From that inspiration grew an agency of the federal government devoted to world peace and friendship. Since that time, more than 1,90,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in 139 host countries to work on issues ranging from AIDS education to information technology and environmental preservation. Today’s Peace Corps is more vital than ever, working in emerging and essential areas such as information technology and business development, and committing more than 1,000 new volunteers as a part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS relief. Peace Corps volunteers continue to help countless individuals, who want to build a better life for themselves, their children, and their communities.

Today, I challenge the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi to create such a organisation to help young Indian generation to identify them self to to built India’s image abroad for example. Think of the global India and you might imagine teaching in a one-room schoolhouse or farming in a remote area of the world. But while education and agriculture are still an important part of what the Peace Corps does, today’s volunteers are just as likely to be working on HIV/AIDS awareness, helping to establish computer learning centres, or working on small-business development, teaching English, assisting teachers, non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi teachings, peace and conflict resolution organisations and working with the elderly, sharing your professional skills/experience, global India should be a flagship programme for Indian nationals only.

Global India volunteers would work in the following areas: Education, youth outreach, and community development; business development; agriculture and environment; health and HIV/AIDS awareness; and information technology. Within these areas, the specific duties and responsibilities of each volunteer can vary widely.

Global India volunteers: In future, he or she will tell you that everybody had a unique experience.

Global India should be for young India, in search for self discovery, building life long relationships, great way to travel and experience other cultures, helping others, great for self-esteem and learn a language.

Global India should reach out on education, environment, information technology, HIV/AIDS awareness, health, agriculture issues, scientific issues, school teachers, art, manufacturing, Internet centres and opening community based schools.

Global India’s volunteer abroad will be a flagship and popular programme, year after year. Volunteer abroad offers the greatest flexibility of locations and start dates. Volunteer work is personalised to your skills and interests.

Global India’s intern abroad for students seeks academic credit, international work experience, or field research. Internship supervisors facilitate learning experiences. Volunteer work is personalised to meet your area of focus.

Global India’s volunteer work is project-based and can be completed within a week. Popular option among students as alternative spring break. It is also popular with families and professionals with limited vacation time.

Global India’s mission should be volunteering abroad is the chance for you to make a personal contribution at the global level, to experience hands-on learning about another country and culture, and to exchange ideas with people you might not otherwise meet. As an international volunteer, you will learn from the communities where you work, and from the experience of travelling in the country and interacting with new people.

Global India: Volunteering abroad is a life-changing experience. You are sharing your enthusiasm, time, skills, and energy — and giving ’yourself’ in a way that allows you to effect positive change. Making a difference can be as simple as spending time with orphans, sharing love and affection, sharing stories and photos with the elderly in a community, or practising basic English with students of all ages. Similar basic volunteering needs in your home community exist overseas, and anyone with an interest in filling those needs can make a difference.

Global India should be the life-changing experience that does not end when you return home. Another important part of international volunteering is getting involved in your own community back home. For some, this will mean remaining aware of, or active in, global issues; for others it may mean educating friends and family about the realities of the country where they were a volunteer. For everyone, returning home is an opportunity to share the enthusiasm and inspiration of your experience and be a voice for greater social involvement. By sharing your international volunteer experience with those in your home community and finding ways to incorporate what you learned into your daily life, you play an important role in fostering cultural understanding between people.

Global India: Making the decision to volunteer overseas is a personal one, and for every volunteer there is a unique and individual answer to the question: Why volunteer abroad?
Gobal India: The overall motivation to volunteer overseas stems from a need to ignite a sense of social responsibility and activism, as well as from a desire to learn about a new country and culture. For some, international volunteering is also a way to gain a new perspective of the world and a renewed sense of the role they play in the world. Therefore, volunteer work abroad can be an intense experience, with opportunities to focus on meaningful global concerns that day-to-day life can’t accommodate.

Global India will give a volunteer personal growth, having a purpose, gaining independence and confidence, connecting with others, seeing a country from the inside-out, learning new language, and local life.

By : Ramesh Manghirmalani
Source : http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=137903


Forget yourself for others, and others will never forget you.

No comments: