Welcome to Volunteer Action for Peace!

VAP’s Winter News - Calling all early birds!

Calling all early birds! For those who wish to take flight before the summer, VAP has already begun filling its database with new projects for volunteering worldwide in 2010. Get online and start pecking!

If you are interested in developing new skills, why not take part in our Volunteer Project Co-ordinator training in London on the 27-28th March? This is a free event with specialist trainers, putting an emphasis on fun and education using a broad range of non-formal techniques. You may be offered the opportunity to represent and help organise a UK based VAP project! For more information contact the resident VAP badger by clicking here.

Are you part of, or aware of a UK based organisation, that could benefit from hosting a VAP project during the summer? VAP is on the hunt for new partners within the UK. The benefits are social exchange and free non-professional labour provided by a group of young travelling adults, who wish to gain a positive experience of UK culture. In return for their work, food and accommodation must be provided. Please get in touch!

Deep below the ground frosts and icy winds, VAP has been busy, tunnelling for new ventures. We have applied to host 2 European Voluntary Service participants this summer. Their main aim will be to educate and bring awareness to UK communities of the Millennium Development Goals to end poverty and ill health, set out by the UN.

And finally...we have also had a small success regarding the unfair classification of volunteers within the new points based system for immigration visa applications in the UK. VAP has managed to lobby a document onto the table of the almighty Home Affairs Select Committee down at Westminster. We will keep you posted as to whether this bears fruit for the coming summer.

All the best from the VAP team

posted on: 16 February 2010

VAP’s Autumn News

Hello to all of VAP’s members and friends!

After a wonderful long summer of volunteering, the falling leaves signal the close of the main busy season for Volunteer Action for Peace. However for those winter beavers, there are still many international opportunities out there. Just check our projects database.

VAP enjoyed a very successful year, sending and hosting more volunteers than we had forecast. We would like to thank all those who have participated or supported, especially those who returned evaluations of their projects. This is critical in sustaining successful partnerships, insuring a positive experience for all, and providing more information for future experiences.

As we look forward, a VAP priority is to develop our UK programme to include more volunteer camps next summer. If you are aware of a UK based project, that would benefit from the social interaction and solidarity generated from a group of international volunteers - please let us know! Please check out the website to see our current broad range of home projects.

Oh Politics! New immigration controls, mean that volunteering in the UK is now defined as ’work’. Participants from non-visa countries such as South Korea, Japan and the USA (28% in 2009), will now have to apply for such a visa. This in turn, causes massive cost implications and time delays, and we are already witnessing a decline in applicants from such countries. In the end, the largest impact is on our own communities across the UK, who were the intended beneficiaries of our work. If you have the time, please write to your local MP, to bring awareness and hopefully changes to this legislation.

And finally...VAP’s Camp Co-ordinator training takes place in London on the 27th-28th March next year. Just like our North-South training in the summer, it’s a fun weekend using discussions and games, to develop participants skills and confidence in coordinating a group. It’s real life education, that is invaluable to those looking to the horizon.

So - Don your Jumpers!

All the best from the VAP team

posted on: 29 October 2009

Action promised for refugees

On September 28th Volunteer Action for Peace held its annual general meeting at East Dulwich in London. A total of 17 members and supporters came to the event. The highlight was a presentation by one of our members, Aneta Kurasiak, who described the two short term voluntary work projects she attended working with illegal migrants in Belgium near Liège and in France in Calais. She illustrated her talk with two short films which showed the UK media portrayal of the recent destruction of the Calais camps by the French riot police and bulldozers, with French and British ministers justifying their actions.

But through Aneta we also heard the voices of the refugees who had made their way by incredible, dangerous journeys from the horrors of war and persecution in the hope of a new life in Britain. As the state shuns them they are ruled by gangsters, criminals specialising in people trafficking, who maintain a slavish hold over the migrants sometimes for many years after they have settled in a new land.

After the talk and presentation there was a discussion on how VAP could work to cooperate, through international volunteer projects, the NGOs that are supporting the refugees that do make it into the UK. It was agreed that we would investigate a project on these lines in Leeds where there are already good contacts in this field.

posted on: 9 October 2009

Medium Term Volunteering in Kosovo with Roma children

From June 22nd to August 21st 2009

Balkan Sunflowers has been effectively working with minority groups in Kosovo for the last seven years. In 2008, Balkan Sunflowers launched the Learning Centres Network (LCN). This educational programme is now running in four locations around Pristina and helps 600-700 Roma children each day. The Summer Programme aims to ensure that the children have the opportunity and support needed to stand on an equal footing with their Serbian and Albanian peers in the school system. The Summer Programme is fun, entertaining and interactive.

Volunteers live with a Roma host family in one of the four minority communities we are working in (Fushe Kosova, Plemetina, Shtime and Gracanica). Power cuts and water shortages in these communities are not uncommon! Still, previous volunteers have found their experiences in these communities to be rich, enjoyable and very valuable. Throughout the programme you will have the opportunity to participate in the education of the children and make strong and lasting friendships.

Applications from experienced educators, pedagogues, people with knowledge of local languages or experience in grassroots community education projects are particularly welcome. We would be happy to hear from anyone, however, who feels they would be able to contribute in a practical and useful way - with a proactive and positive attitude.

Applicants must be 18 years or older. To cover the costs of food and accommodation with the host family, volunteers need to pay 200 euro per month (or 400 euros in total). This payment does not include your own personal travel and expenses.

If you are interested to apply, please contact Nuno here.

For more information see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T34qRQ_vSaI

posted on: 10 June 2009