minna, Author at Maailmanvaihto ry

Greetings from abroad: from Georgia to Finland and from Finland to Philippines

What’s up with the volunteers of Maailmanvaihto? Two of them share their greetings. Mariam Darbaidze traveled to Finland for volunteering from Georgia and Asta Lehtola from Finland to Philippines.

Mariam: from Tbilisi to Helsinki

I wanted to join international volunteering…

to get a new experience. I had volunteered many times in local activities back in Georgia, but I had never done it abroad. In general, international volunteering impressed me for several reasons: after my bachelor’s degree, I took a gap year to think more about my career path and I decided to take part in the European Solidarity Corps. My professional background is sociology, so studying different cultures has always been one of my passions. This volunteering project was a great way to get out of my comfort zone and experience an independent life, even more challenging with my hearing loss. The European Solidarity Corps helped me to fulfill all of these and it still continues surprising me.

I ended up at my voluntary workplace because…

I found out about the open volunteer position at Maailmanvaihto online, and I was immediately interested. Finland is quite expensive and difficult to travel to from Georgia, which is why volunteering seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime possibility for me to travel here. I read Maailmanvaihto’s website very carefully, and Maailmanvaihto seemed to me a trustworthy organisation with important values and mission, and interesting volunteering opportunities. Maailmanvaihto works to establish intercultural learning experiences through long-term international volunteering, besides which it advances equality and peace among young people. Before my interview for the volunteering position I contacted another Georgian volunteer who had been in Finland as a volunteer through the European Solidarity Corps and she gave me a big recommendation to come here. As you can guess, I had plenty of reasons to move to Finland.

My volunteering days are filled with…

office related tasks but sometimes I have outdoor activities as well. My tasks include emailing with volunteers and partner organisations, promoting available placements and assisting in the volunteer selection process, arranging travels, writing newsletters for our volunteers, updating guidebooks, participating in magazine making, and updating the English version of the website. During volunteering camps, I help in the kitchen, facilitate activities, take videos and photos, and participate in social media management. Sometimes I visit schools and exhibitions to promote our international possibilities among young people. Right now, I am working on my personal project which is making interview videos related to the topic of international volunteering as a person with disabilities. When I was planning to participate in a European Solidarity Corps volunteering project, I had an unclear image about the support the program can offer for volunteers with disabilities. With my project, I wish to make participating in the European Solidarity Corps volunteering easier for other young people with disabilities. Young people with disabilities usually do not volunteer abroad as much as other young people. I hope this project will be beneficial for our organisation and for the European Solidarity Corps general. I hope people who watch these videos will see that young people with disabilities are not only receivers but also givers of knowledge and effort.

The languages I use to communicate with the people here…

rely on respect. My volunteering environment is respectful and safe. We regularly have an office meeting to discuss our tasks, which helps me not to miss anything. The people here really are interested in my actions, thoughts, and feelings. We communicate in English, Finnish and Georgian. I have conducted a Georgian cultural evening, and other volunteers and I organise together monthly a language café. The European Solidarity Corps has improved my linguistic competences. As a hard of hearing person, I feel more motivated to know languages very well because sometimes when I cannot hear, people think that I am not fully aware of the language. Volunteering abroad has assisted me to feel more confident with foreign languages.

I think that inspirational co-operation in volunteering builds on…

communication, when people, coworkers, partner organisations share the same values and principles, when they have a similar understanding. At my volunteering project, it inspires me to be approachable and initiative. For instance, when I go to schools and promote international volunteering, I consider it as an important task because when I was a pupil I had no idea about this kind of international experience. At that time, I was very vulnerable and would have been happy to know also about other options besides colleges and universities. Maailmanvaihto supports me to create new co-operations. I am so happy that during my volunteering period, we have connected with Kuuloliitto (an association for people with hearing disabilities) through which have had the opportunity to make connections, learn, experience, and get more aware of hearing loss. It has been planned that Maailmanvaihto and Kuuloliitto will continue co-operating after I leave, which makes me delighted.

For those interested in volunteering abroad, I wish to say…

that go for it, just check the volunteering project, placement, and the duties of volunteers very attentively to be sure that it is the right place for you. The volunteering project also must suit your values and interests. I really recommend the European Solidarity Corps volunteering to everyone but at the same time: it will not be exciting all the time, it can be challenging, sad, and exhausting sometimes and it is okay as well. I especially recommend this for young people with disabilities. Our opportunities are already limited for many reasons and we do not have the luxury to waste many chances. The European Solidarity Corps will cover your individual needs, so do not hesitate to try it. It is also possible to visit the host country and organisation before starting the project. The sending and hosting organisations, disability organisations, and the national agencies will support you, just apply. Long-term volunteering abroad can be a mind-blowing experience for you and your expertise as a young person with disabilities will be beneficial for the hosting organisation.

Interview: Minna Räisänen
Photo: Hanna Sainio

In the photo: ”A well-deserved rest together Ansku (right), one of Maailmanvaihto’s support people, after cleaning up at the beach”, describes volunteer Mariam Darbaidze the photo.

Asta Lehtola shares greetings from volunteering at San Remigio Rural Health Unit in Philippines on our Finnish website >> Read the interview of Asta

The article has been published in the magazine MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2023.

Finding your way to communicate

Traveling to another country after or during school or between bachelor’s and master’s degrees as a traineeship, as an au pair or a backpacker is something a lot of young adults are keen to do.

Many imagine such a trip as a pure adventure, during which you meet many people from all over the world, grow beyond yourself, and have fun. Many travel magazines, blogs and forums encourage people to start traveling even if they are not proficient in many different languages, as it is possible to survive in many countries by knowing at least English. In big cities, it will usually be the case that English is a good way to go, but if someone decides to volunteer, they should inevitably get to grips with the local language at least a little, since volunteer projects are often in environments where English might not be broadly understood.

In addition, the geographical location of the site is crucial and can pose various challenges. For example, in Finland there are two official languages: Finnish and Swedish, both of which also have varying dialects.

In Finland, you can generally communicate well in English with young adults, but often less well with children and older people. Since the volunteers often work with children and older people, it is good if you as a volunteer learn the basics of the respective national language (in my case: Finnish).

Gender-neutral pronouns and other quirks of Finnish language

I tried to memorize a few words and short sentences before starting my voluntary service and I read several books about Finland to learn a bit about the culture, history, and language. I wrote down a few words so that I might understand the context better and listened to the Finnish language with Google Translate so I know how to pronounce the words. I quickly realized that in the Finnish language, many words end with an ”I” that sound and are spelled very similarly in German, which is my native language. This was also confirmed for many things when I arrived. For example, the post office is simply called “posti”, the kiosk simply “kioski”, the sugar “sokeri”, the tomato “tomaatti” and what I find really funny is that the joke (in German “Witz”) is called “vitsi”. However, in a conversation I have already appended an “I” to a German word and hoped that this also existed in Finnish. This has already led to one or two laughs.

Furthermore, I find it interesting that Finnish is a gender-neutral language. There is only one third person pronoun, ”hän”, there is no ”she” or ”he”. This was very unusual for me, but in the end, this is almost the only rule in Finnish that is easy.

”Snow is not just snow in Finnish. For example, there is the wet snow, the muddy snow, the snow to build a snowman with and the snow one cannot build a snowman with.”

However, Finnish has umpteen different words for an event or an object. When I wanted to say it was snowing, I only knew one word for snow in Finnish, but snow is not just snow in Finnish. For example, there is the wet snow, the muddy snow, the snow to build a snowman with and the snow one cannot build a snowman with. So the Finnish language is very versatile in other respects.

I was also very surprised that the word ”please” does not exist in Finnish and that the word ”thank you” is rarely used. Even when Finns speak English, they often omit these words. It doesn’t sound that friendly. At first, I was not sure if anything had happened or if they were struggling with each other or with me, until I realized that many filler words are simply left out in Finland. Also, there are sentences in English and German that have multiple meanings, but apparently not in Finnish. In the meantime, I’ve gotten used to it.

Multilingual environments offer many ways of communicating

Since many Finns also speak German, I can contribute here in both English and German. I was amazed that some of the children in my project can introduce themselves to me in German. I didn’t expect that at all. I also find it amusing when I ask people on the street where there is something and they don’t speak English but German and then we speak German. As soon as I registered, the employee could and wanted to speak German with me because she had learned it at school for ten years.

In addition, since Swedish, the second official language in Finland, is a mixture of German and English, you can see a lot of familiar sounding words on the signs around the city. but you can also find terms in conversations that help us to keep the conversation going.

However, I was very surprised that Finns don’t speak English as fluently as I expected. Since most films, series and books are not translated into Finnish, I assumed that they would speak English like a second mother tongue. This made me think that I could further refine my already good knowledge of English here.

Unlike most other volunteers, I initially lived with an English host mother, which allowed me to improve my English after all.

In summary, it becomes clear that you can learn something and develop something with every language. That’s why I think it’s great that we, as volunteers, are given the opportunity to take part in language courses. In doing so, we not only learn how to express ourselves or conduct conversations, but also get to know the culture and history of the country better.

I try to bring every word I learn into a conversation right away in my project and I’m totally happy when the children understand me. However, I often do not understand what they answer. We have had many funny situations here and communicate with gestures and a mixture of English, Finnish, German and a little Swedish.

Text: Franziska Müller
Photos: Johanna Gehlen

The article has been published in the magazine MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2023.

Training: Young Activists for Peace and Climate Justice 12.06. – 19.06.2023, Germany

Maailmanvaihto is looking for representatives from Finland for the training Young Activists for Peace and Climate Justice!

Place: Darmstadt Forest / Germany
Dates: 12.06.–19.06.2023
Age: 18+
Language: English
Host organisation: ICJA (ICYE Germany)

For young activists who want to get knowledge and skills and actively work for climate justice and peace!

Would you like to get to know people, initiatives and their activities for climate justice?
Would you like to gain an overview of the global problems caused by global warming and environmental pollution?
Would you like to share your experience and practice with other international participants and their youth organisation and jointly develop new methods and approaches in the field of sustainability and the UN sustainability goals?
Would you like to receive official recognition of your participation in this learning experience afterwards? (for more information: Youthpass).

If so, we look forward to receiving your application!

Global warming is a fundamental threat to all people on earth, but in different ways: The lifestyle of the rich is the main cause of the greenhouse effect, people in the global south suffer the most from the consequences, like drought, heat waves and floods. Especially poor and young people in the global North and South are bearing the consequences of a climate crisis they did not cause.

The main focus of this training is the worldwide fight for climate justice. Together we want to look for positive role models and helpful competences to achieve a more peaceful and sustainable future for all of us.

The training will consist of the following modules:

Workshops on understanding global warming e.g. “climatefresk” climatefresk.org/de-ch
Workshops on just and sustainable nutrition e.g. “Food Justice”.
Workshops with examples from Global Learning;
Visit to the Rainforest Centre “Centre for Global Sustainability” www.regenwaldzentrum.de
Workshops on creative events and campaigns on climate justice
Learning from best practice: Excursions to initiatives in Darmstadt and Frankfurt that work for climate justice, e.g. fridays for future, students for future.

Become part of the international community that stands up for sustainability, climate justice and a world without discrimination!

Bit by bit, we can steer the world in a more sustainable direction, where people and the climate comes before profit. We can all help to shape this change!

About 25 youth and young adults from Europe and neighbouring countries are invited to the training. Some experience in youth or non-formal political education and enthusiasm to implement activities within Maailmanvaihto and our network are required. The training results should be widely promoted and used in your own work!

Conditions for participation

Date of arrival: 12.06.2023 in the afternoon
Date of departure 19.06.2023 in the morning
Age: 18+
Working language: English
Location: Jugendhof Bessunger Forst near Darmstadt
Accommodation and food are included
Participation fee: 40 € (for each Maailmanvaihto’s participant from Finland)
Reimbursement of the travel expenses is calculated according to the flat rate of the ERASMUS + programme. We ask the participants to use sustainable means of transport.

See the call in pdf
Financial guidelines for participants

This professional development activity of the Erasmus+ Programme is co-financed by the European Union for which ICJA has received the quality label.

How to apply?

Please, download and fill in the Registration form and send it to us at Maailmanvaihto to maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi.

We will fill the positions as soon as suitable candidates are found. We could send a few participants, so far we have found one participant for the training.

Accessibility

If you would like to gain information on the accessibility of the training, please, contact ICJA at youthexchange@icja.de.

Become a camp leader for the on-arrival camp of young volunteers 21.–27.8.2023

Would you like to join in planning and leading an orientation camp for young people who will travel from abroad to Finland for 6–12 months of volunteering? Apply to become the camp leader of the on-arrival camp of Maailmanvaihto!

In August 2023, 20–25 young people will travel through Maailmanvaihto to Finland to volunteer here for 6–12 months. We will organise for the new volunteers an on-arrival camp from 21st until 27th August 2023 in Tuusula.

We are looking for a camp leader for the on-arrival camp. As a camp leader, you will get to carry out an international camp and train your group leading and organisational skills.

The most important responsibilities of the camp leader are:

planning and carrying out the program of the camp in co-operation with Maailmanvaihto’s programme coordinator and the camp team
coordinating the camp team and carrying out planning meetings
during the camp, taking care that the camp is running nicely and advancing a nice atmosphere and good interaction within and between the teams

Central themes of the camp will be familiarizing oneself with volunteering, intercultural learning, and conflict management. At the camp, the volunteers will also familiarize themselves with the cultural environment and society in Finland. The camp will be held at the camp center Kesärinne in Tuusula. The camp leader will organise the camp together with the programme coordinator, summer intern, and 3–5 camp facilitators who will work on a voluntary basis.

We hope that the camp leader will have good co-operation and interaction skills. We are looking for the task a responsible person. Prior experience in training and guiding groups as well as personal experience of living abroad will be of advantage. The camp will be held in English. Leading the camp suits well for students studying to become community educators, for example.

The camp leader will not receive a salary but half of the daily allowance. We will cover the travel expenses (from Finland) of the camp leader to the camp.

We will start planning the camp at the beginning of summer, and the team will gather about 3–4 times prior to the camp. The camp leader will work mainly remotely, but we will also have some joint planning days at the office of Maailmanvaihto which is situated in the Kruununhaka district of Helsinki. Travel expenses to the meetings will be covered (cheapest public transport). We wish that the camp leader will commit to taking part in all the planning meetings as well as the evaluation meeting after the camp.

Safer space and accessibility

We wish to build in all Maailmanvaihto’s activities an atmosphere in which all participants can feel welcome as themselves. To support this, we will follow at the camp Maailmanvaihto’s Safer space principles. If you would like to gain accessibility information, contact Maailmanvaihto’s programme coordinator Mari Takalo hosting@maailmanvaihto.fi, 044 318 0888.

How to apply?

If you are interested in the position, please, send us your informal application in which you tell about your know-how and experience as well as about why you are interested in working at the camp. Please, send your application to Maailmanvaihto’s programme coordinator Mari Takalo at the address hosting@maailmanvaihto.fi.

We will fill the position as soon as a suitable candidate is found. The last day for us to receive applications will be 14th May 2023. If you wish for further information, please contact Mari Takalo: hosting@maailmanvaihto.fi, 044 318 0888.

Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland is a youth exchange organisation established in 1958. We have programmes to go and volunteer abroad from Finland and vice versa. The volunteering periods last for 6–12 months. For a more equal world through intercultural learning, is our vision. Our NGO is religiously and politically nonaligned.

Working with Victims of Torture in a Bolivian NGO

In this series, we get to hear about volunteering opportunities within the ICYE network all over the world. This time, we chat with Emma Bolshia Bravo Cladera who works as the executive director at the Institute of Therapy and Investigation (ITEI) in Bolivia.

Who am I?

My Name is Emma Bolshia Bravo Cladera. I have studied in Switzerland and have a university degree in Psychology. I have lived 30 years in Switzerland as a political refugee following the dictatorships of Banzer (in Bolivia) and Pinochet (in Chile). When I returned to Bolivia 19 years ago, I cofounded the “Institute of Therapy and Investigation about the Sequels of State Torture and Violence” (ITEI) along with Andres Gautier. I have 19 years of experience working with victims of torture and assessing their cases in accordance with the Istanbul Protocol. I have also been the Executive Director of ITEI for the last 10 years.

A multidimensional NGO

The Institute of Therapy and Investigation (ITEI) is a Non-Governmental Organization based in La Paz, Bolivia. Since 2001, ITEI has worked in the rehabilitation of the victims of torture, demeaning treatments and other forms of State violence, specially the people of limited resources such as indigenous populations and members of groups who fight for their rights. We provide medical and psychological attention, as well as the training of professionals and other vulnerable groups. We do research about the bio-psychosocial sequels, both individual and collective, caused by the torture and the State violence. Hence, we tirelessly work in order to defend and promote the Human Rights of the people who suffer torture and other forms of ill-treatments. Our project also includes the support of European volunteers. ITEI’s work areas focus on rehabilitation, training, research and political incidence.

Appreciation from international institutions

One of the most challenging aspects of our job is the training of personnel who work for the State, specially for the police force or the military. As long as their institutions don’t embrace democracy and don’t eradicate the violence from their own training, we don’t really know if our workshops will be able to convince them to reject torture as a method of investigation and intimidation that silences people. Still, we believe someone is listening.

The most gratifying aspect of this job is the appreciation that the ITEI receives, both from the trade union institutions and from the people affected to whom it has given attention. It is also deeply rewarding that our work is appreciated at an international level, since governments usually disqualify the value of our work. This obviously happens because we constantly denounce the practices of torture carried out by the Bolivian Government, even though the Government denies the existence of such practices. The appreciation received from international institutions does not only signify that we are doing our job right, but it also assures protection for our work team.

Volunteering during remote times

With the arrival of the pandemic, we were no longer able to provide our services as we had done before. We engaged in remote therapy sessions, continued providing our patients special assistance remotely and held digital courses and webinars, for example. In our institution, we mainly worked through the use of the web page and social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The contribution of volunteers in this regard is very valuable to us, since they open up possibilities for us to disseminate our work. During the pandemic, the work of the volunteers has mainly consisted of the administration of the website and the social networks, as well as the writing of articles based on institutional work.

Pros and cons of distance volunteering

During the pandemic, we’ve come to know the features and great possibilities enabled by distance working. For example, we were able to collaborate with professionals all around the world in the making of our webinars.

The main disadvantage resides in the impossibility of directly experiencing our field of work. For example, entering prisons and participating in workshops and interacting with the population attended by the institution are experiences which have been highly valued by our (past) volunteers. Not being able to experience this can limit the knowledge and identification with the work that we do, specially given the gravity of the subject which we work with: torture.

The role of volunteers at ITEI

Among the volunteers who came to ITEI, there are two main groups: those who have just finished high school and those who have already attained a Bachelor’s Degree. In both cases, knowing Spanish is essential when volunteering
at our organization.

The contribution of the volunteers is highly appreciated, especially in areas where Bolivian professionals and the institution itself have limitations. Our volunteers have performed different tasks, such as: translating documents, using new digital methodologies, managing our web page, advertising our activities, writing articles concerning our work.

Volunteers with a Bachelor’s Degree have contributed greatly to ITEI. They have written articles that tie together their academic knowledge with their work in ITEI, collaborated in the making of institutional reports, given lectures and workshops, and even contributed in the development of the draft of a law which defines and prohibits torture in Bolivia.

My greetings to those interested in volunteering in Bolivia

Those who are interested in volunteering in Bolivia, and specially in an institution such as ITEI, are necessarily people with a social and political sensibility. This means that they will easily adapt to our work team, being able to work with our target population with commitment and respect for their human dignity.

The interaction with people of a different culture, with other work practices and interests is highly positive for a work team like ours. And for the young Europeans it is a whole new experience: “To live and to work in another culture”. We hope that such an experience contributes to their personal and professional growth. For those who chose to join us…

WELCOME TO BOLIVIA AND TO ITEI!

Interview: Fabienne Zogg

Juttu on ilmestynyt MaailmanVaihtoa 1/2021-lehdessä.

The office of Maailmanvaihto closed from 7th to 10th April 2023

Maailmanvaihto’s office will remain closed from 7th to 10th April 2023.

Answer a survey on equality (DL 31st May)

How to improve equality at ICYE Finland? Answer the survey and contribute to our equality planning!

ICYE Finland strives to promote equality in all its activities. We aim to promote cooperation between people from different backgrounds and to dismantle discriminatory thinking and structures. We aim to be responsible, inclusive, and as accessible as possible, regardless of any factors or aspects related to the person of our participants.

As an international actor, ICYE Finland strives to be aware of global power relations and its position in these structures, which are reflected in international volunteer exchange between the Global North and the Global South. ICYE Finland seeks to challenge and deconstruct colonial continuities and the stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination that they produce in society at large, and thus contribute to a more equal world.

Focal points of our equality work

ICYE Finland implements its principle of equality through equality planning. In our equality plan, we assess the current state of equality in the activities of ICYE Finland, set goals to further improve equality, and identify ways to achieve these goals.

Linked to our strategy, the plan outlines three focal points to be promoted between 2023 and 2026:

antiracism and appreciating diversity
accessibility
safer space.

In addition to these prior focal points, the plan identifies three overarching principles that guide our equality planning at ICYE Finland:

ethicalness and sustainability
intersectionality
inclusiveness.

Answer the survey and make a difference!

To support our equality planning work, we are now collecting feedback from those involved in the activities of ICYE Finland and our stakeholders. By answering the short survey (just a few questions), you will help us improve our work.

The survey will be open until the end of 31st May 2023 (the deadline has been exteneded).

>> Answer the survey (Google Forms)

Member letter March 2023

3rd March 2023

Dear member of Maailmanvaihto,

warm greetings at the beginning of the year! Below, you can find a few greetings from Maailmanvaihto, and more of them you can read from the MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices magazine (sent attached for members who received a printed member letter). The theme of the issue is language and communication.

We here at Maailmanvaihto have been happy about the return to normal. After a break of a couple of years, it felt very good to get to host real camps and have meetings face to face. Now we can say that we have coped well with the challenges posed by the Coronavirus times. The number of participants of our activities and the number of outgoing volunteers are still somewhat lower than before the pandemic. The program of the incoming volunteers was running quite normally throughout the Coronavirus times, thanks to which our financial situation is still quite stable.

Advancing equality in our activities is central for us now. We have wanted to especially increase the possibilities of young people with disabilities to participate in international volunteering. Another important theme for us is to advance the antiracism of our activities. To learn more about the topic, we are taking part in a three-year international project that aims at decolonising international volunteering. We have described more in detail our activities of last year in our annual report. If you would like to receive the document (in Finnish), please, email us at maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi.

This spring, we will collect feedback from those people who have participated in our activities as well as from our partners, to support the planning of our equality work. By answering the survey, you will take part in developing our activities. We will inform you soon more about the survey on our website and social media.

Maailmanvaihto’s Spring Meeting 27th March 2023

Welcome to the Spring Meeting of Maailmanvaihto on 27th March 2023 starting at 17.15 at the address Oikokatu 3, Helsinki. You are also welcome to participate in the meeting online but in that case you will not be allowed to take part in the votings.

You can find the invitation to the meeting in the magazine MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices (p. 6). Please, sign up on 24th March 2023 at the latest to maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Membership fees 2023 and changes of addresses

Thanks for your membership, your support is valuable to us. If you are a member with an annual fee, you can find this year’s membership fee information below. The annual fees don’t concern permanent members. If there are changes to your contact information, please, inform us about them for the member register at tiedottaja@maailmanvaihto.fi.

Kind regards,
Anni Koskela
Secretary General

Membership fee information

The bank account number of the receiver: Danske Bank FI1480001500607487
The receiver: Maailmanvaihto ry
Message:
Membership fee 2023
Your name and address (NB! Include your e-mail address if you wish to receive your member mail via e-mail)
Your year of birth
The amount of the fee:
10 € students, unemployed people, people on parental leave, and pensioners
15 € working people
40 € community members
100 € permanent members
50 € support membership fee

Supplementary application round: next autumn to ICYE volunteering

Do you live in Finland? Are your plans for the next autumn open? Are you interested in volunteering? Would you like to widen your worldview by familiarizing yourself with new themes, ways of acting, and new points of views? Apply to the International Cultural Youth Exchange program!

There are open positions (6 or 12 months) for the departure in August–September 2023 to Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica (only 6 months), Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines (only 6 months), Taiwan (only 6 months), Tanzania, and Vietnam (only 6 months).

There are possibilities in many fields of work. The organisations of the program work for protecting the environment, offering early childhood education and education, and supporting human rights.

You will get training for your volunteering experience before your departure in Finland and in the destination country. There is a participation fee for the program. With the fee, you will get, besides training, accommodation and daily meals, insurance, and a language course, for example.

Learn more about the program and once you find opportunities that interest you, send us your application! We will fill the positions as soon as suitable candidates are found. We can receive applications until the end of 20.3.2023. If you have questions, please, contact us – we will gladly answer.

Program information and a search engine for the voluntary workplaces
Application instructions and the application form

Maailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland is a youth exchange organisation established in 1958. We offer volunteering programs of 6–12 months abroad and in Finland. For a more equal world through intercultural learning is our vision. Our NGO is religiously and politically nonaligned.

Join the Online Workshop: Embodied Social Justice (Sat 25th March)

Trainer Sauli Kahkonen offers an online workshop “Embodied Social Justice”. The workshop is open for all the participants of Maailmanvaihto’s activities and others interested in the topic. Join in!

On Saturday 25th March at 11–14
Zoom (please, sign up to get the link to the meeting)

Welcome to embodied social justice workshop! This training will demonstrate how incorporating the body can create impactful and meaningful change in our work towards a more equitable society. This training will help you cultivate a deeper sense of your own body and its role in anti-oppression work, empowering you to create real change and become a more effective ally.

Unlike traditional approaches that focus on changing our thoughts and behaviours, this training recognizes the powerful role of the body in our experiences of oppression and marginalization. By exploring this role, we can develop a more embodied understanding of how social justice operates.

During the course, you will

Have an introduction to embodied social justice work.
Gain a brief understanding of how systemic oppression impacts our bodies and relationships with others.
Learn some basic tools of mindfulness, movement, and breath work to create a more resilient and healing response to systemic oppression.
Learn some basic tools to prevent oppression.

To fully participate in this transformative workshop, all you need is a calm and spacious area to move around. It is highly recommended that you sit on a comfortable cushion, blanket, or yoga mat, and ensure that you have a dependable internet connection to access our online format. You don’t need any prior knowledge or skills related to the topic, your curiosity towards the topic is enough. Furthermore, feel free to prepare a notebook and pen to capture any noteworthy moments or inspiring thoughts that may arise during the workshop.

The creator and trainer of the workshop Sauli Kahkonen is a dedicated practitioner of yoga and meditation with over 15 years of experience in the field. Sauli holds an MSc in International Studies and is a certified Somatic yoga instructor with 200 hours of training. He has also volunteered extensively in Lebanon, Bolivia, and Iceland, gaining valuable cross-cultural experience and contributing to various causes. Currently, he is pursuing his studies to become a psychotherapist with a focus on somatic movement and community engagement. Through his passion for somatic movement, Sauli hopes to effect positive change in society by promoting holistic well-being and empowering individuals to take control of their bodies and minds.

On Saturday 25th March, Sauli will hold the workshop Embodied Social Justice for the first time. Try it out and give your valuable feedback afterward!

The workshop will be held in English. The workshop is free of charge.

How to join?

Please, sign up for the workshop on 20th March 2023 at the latest to Maailmanavaihto: e-mail maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi, WhatsApp +358 44 235 1196.

Accessibility and further information

Accessibility information of Zoom is available at https://explore.zoom.us/en/accessibility.

If you have any questions, please, contact Maailmanvaihto at maailmanvaihto@maailmanvaihto.fi. Your questions to the trainer will be forwarded to him from Maailmanvaihto.

Mariam: from Tbilisi to Helsinki

I wanted to join international volunteering…

I ended up at my voluntary workplace because…

My volunteering days are filled with…

The languages I use to communicate with the people here…

I think that inspirational co-operation in volunteering builds on…

For those interested in volunteering abroad, I wish to say…

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Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

Bite the Culture: Italian Night Wed 23 April (Helsinki) – register now!

Workshop on postcolonial political imagination

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2025: Mental wellbeing in international volunteering

Gender-neutral pronouns and other quirks of Finnish language

Multilingual environments offer many ways of communicating

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Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

Bite the Culture: Italian Night Wed 23 April (Helsinki) – register now!

Workshop on postcolonial political imagination

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2025: Mental wellbeing in international volunteering

How to apply?

Accessibility

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Maailmanvaihto’s office closed on 18th May

Join the online workshop on brave space Fri 26th May 2023

Join the Online Workshop: Embodied Social Justice (Sat 25th March)

Safer space and accessibility

How to apply?

Read also

Read MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2024 on the theme of partnership in international volunteering

Maailmanvaihto’s Spring Meeting 27th March

Lahti: Become a host family for a young volunteer from Uganda

Who am I?

A multidimensional NGO

Appreciation from international institutions

Volunteering during remote times

Pros and cons of distance volunteering

The role of volunteers at ITEI

My greetings to those interested in volunteering in Bolivia

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Volunteering around the world: Unique experiences and connections in Costa Rica

Greetings from abroad: Assisting at vocational school and leading football training

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

Bite the Culture: Italian Night Wed 23 April (Helsinki) – register now!

Workshop on postcolonial political imagination

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2025: Mental wellbeing in international volunteering

Focal points of our equality work

Answer the survey and make a difference!

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Maailmanvaihto’s Glögi Evening 13th December

New Volunteer Project atMaailmanvaihto – ICYE Finland: Join the office team!

New Volunteer Project at Dagtek arts&crafts workshop: Join the Ekenäs Community!

Maailmanvaihto’s Spring Meeting 27th March 2023

Membership fees 2023 and changes of addresses

Membership fee information

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

Bite the Culture: Italian Night Wed 23 April (Helsinki) – register now!

Workshop on postcolonial political imagination

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2025: Mental wellbeing in international volunteering

Read also

Practice languages in Maailmanvaihto’s Language Café

Bite the Culture: Italian Night Wed 23 April (Helsinki) – register now!

Workshop on postcolonial political imagination

MaailmanVaihtoa – Volunteers’ Voices 1/2025: Mental wellbeing in international volunteering

How to join?

Accessibility and further information

Read also

Maailmanvaihto’s office closed on 18th May

Join the online workshop on brave space Fri 26th May 2023

Training: Young Activists for Peace and Climate Justice 12.06. – 19.06.2023, Germany