Author: minna

Are you living in Finland and considering a voluntary work period abroad? Are you wondering about the coronavirus epidemy?  Here is information on the arrangements of the European Solidarity Corps volunteering during the coronavirus epidemic and Maailmanvaihto’s cancellation term during the coronavirus times for the ICYE Voluntary Program.

European Solidarity Corps Volunteering

European Solidarity Corps Volunteering periods can be postponed to a later date or cancelled in case needed due to the coronavirus situation. In addition, ESC volunteering periods can be started virtually during the rest of the year 2020 if starting the volunteering period physically in the host country is not possible due to exceptional circumstances. The periods will be completed in the host country when the circumstances allow it. (see the news from the Finnish National Agency for Education).

ICYE Voluntary Program

If due to the coronavirus epidemic, Maailmanvaihto cannot organize you the planned volunteering program (if the destination country limits the entrance to the country or if the foreign ministry recommends avoiding to the country, for instance):

• You can postpone your departure or ask for changing the destination country.
• If you cancel your participation. If you cancel your participation before the pre-departure training, we will refund you your payment in total. If you cancel your participation after the pre-departure training, we will hold back 500 € for training and administration costs. We will discount the 500 € that you have already paid from your participation fee in case you later decide to participate in ICYE volunteering.

In case the situation in your destination country is worrying but neither the entrance to the country is limited nor the the foreign ministry recommends avoiding travelling to the country, you can

• postpone your departure or
• ask for changing the destination country (cannot be guaranteed in advance) or
• apply for a partly return of your participation fee from the board of Maailmanvaihto.

Maailmanvaihto’s office will be closed for the Midsummer Eve 19.6.2020.

Working together towards becoming a more equal organization. Last year, the board of Maailmanvaihto created an equality plan as a means to support this work.

“We established an equality plan since we wanted the equality work to be ambitious and constantly developing. We need to examine current activities critically and consider who are excluded and why”, explains Anna Lemström, equality representative of Maailmanvaihto’s board at the time of making the plan.

The plan outlines the issues that should be addressed and with what types of aims and procedures. At its core, it urges to examine more broadly how people of Maailmanvaihto perceive the issues related to equality within the organization. A similar kind of survey had not been done previously. The survey was carried out at the end of last year and you can read about the results on pages 16–18 of this issue.

In addition, the plan encourages to pay attention especially to 1) building safer spaces and addressing diversity, 2) addressing the need for special support and improving accessibility, and 3) preventing sexual harassment and discrimination and offering support in possible harassment and discrimination cases. “With the help of these few focus areas, the aim was to create a plan that is genuinely executable. The idea was to introduce new topics when updating the plan”, says Anna.

It was written into the plan that it will be updated annually, if necessary. No updating has been undertaken yet. “After having delved into the specific goals we understood how diverse the various questions of equality actually are and how much groundwork is required. It is important that we carefully consider the selected focus areas before moving forward”, says Roosa Kontiokari, the chair of the board. “The aim is to overview the plan critically and update it according to what we learn.”

Find more information about the plan: https://maailmanvaihto.fi/en/equality-plan

Information about accessibility and principles for safer spaces

What steps have been taken by Maailmanvaihto to implement the focus areas of the equality plan? Here are six points:

1. The principles for safer space were developed and referring to them in the context of trainings and events was introduced. The principles are currently being translated into English.
2. In terms of selecting the event venues that are open for everyone, greater emphasis was placed on accessibility as a selection criteria, and information related to the accessibility of events was added to event invitations.
3. Information about the possibility to receive youth with sensory or physical disabilities to workplaces was added to the descriptions of voluntary workplaces in Finland. The descriptions of voluntary workplaces for ICYE volunteers were completed whereas the descriptions of voluntary workplaces for ESC volunteers are still in progress.
4. Into the training for young people heading abroad for volunteering was added information on the varying attitudes towards sexual and gender minorities in different countries.
5. Into the training was also added the subject of sexual harassment and discrimination as well as ways to report about them and get support.
6. In its electric communication work – in the social media posts and on the website, for instance – Maailanvaihto begun to avoid gender-specific personal pronouns whenever the gender is not know and whenever it is not essential to bring forward the gender.

Text: Minna Räisänen

Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland is a youth exchange organization that provides young people intercultural learning experiences via international volunteering. The organisation’s aim is to increase intercultural understanding, promote the equality of opportunity, equality and peace. Maailmanvaihto actively works toward providing safe and equal environments for everyone participating in its activities.

The purpose of the guidelines for safer spaces is to create an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome as their own selves. Our goal is that everyone taking part in Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland’s activities participates also in creating safer and more inclusive spaces.

People from all around the world with different kinds of backgrounds meet in the activities of Maailmanvaihto. Within the scope of the organization’s activities, nobody is to be discriminated against based on factors such as gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, beliefs, range of abilities, or the like.

The following principles foster safer and more inclusive spaces:

1. Treat others with respect.
2. Be aware of your presumptions and prejudices. Rather than presuming, ask, and respect the answer you receive.
3. Be aware of your own power positions, and work toward making power positions visible.
4. Do not discriminate against or exclude others.
5. Do not harass anyone – verbally or physically.
6. Provide others the space and chance to be heard. Note that people have varying ways of self-expression and learning.
7. Take into consideration different levels in language skills. Communicate in ways that provide everyone the chance to understand.
8. If you believe someone needs help or someone’s behavior raises worry, offer your help and support.
9. In cases of harassment and discrimination, take action.

Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland deals with all cases of harassment and discrimination according to the organization’s equality and non-discrimination plan. The organization warmly welcomes feedback on how its guidelines for safer spaces work in practice. We are especially interested in feedback on which practices have proven to be effective and whether any possible problematic situations have been dealt with appropriately. You can send your feedback via email to: maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi.