Operating Principles

Maailmanvaihto is a politically and religiously uncommitted non-governmental organization. Our values are global responsibility, intercultural learning, and equality.

Our vision

For a more equal world through intercultural learning

Important principles in our activities

For us at Maailmanvaihto, it is important to carry out activities so that they are ethical from the point of view of the young participants, the receiving organizations as well as the target groups of volunteering.  In order to assure the ethicalness of the activities, Maailmanvaihto has initiated making ethical guidelines for the international ICYE. In the training for volunteers, and in the communication work, ethical questions are central.

In recent years, we have put effort into developing the quality of the voluntary work programs, e.g. by creating quality descriptions for our core activities, and by co-operating with university students in order to explore the impact of international volunteering. We have developed further our global education work, which aims at advancing intercultural understanding, via our school visiting activities. Maailmanvaihto executes in its activities principles of equality according to its equality plan which was approved in 2018.

Climate change, especially at the global level, is also a question of equality because it is the minorities and the people with the weakest livelihood, who suffer the most of the environmental problems. When working with the youth, we aim at increasing their environmental awareness. We also aim at minimizing the environmental load of Maailmanvaihto.

Taking down stereotypes related to foreign people is the most important topic of Maailmanvaihto’s advocacy work.

In the activities and events of Maailmanvaihto, the guidelines for safer spaces are followed.