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What of my other goal, to evaluate the utility of volunteers in the chaotic arena of international public health? Having gone through the process once, I now grasp the value and limitations of volunteering overseas. While blindly traveling to another country without considering its context and culture has the potential to perpetuate negative stereotypes on both sides, if done correctly, there is much to be learned from such cross-cultural exchanges. Enthusiastic volunteers reinvigorate public health efforts while gaining an appreciation for the true challenges of implementing public health solutions in developing countries. Volunteers also get a first hand taste of the interdisciplinary nature of such efforts, which demand expertise in fields as diverse as economics, political science, drug delivery, and public policy.
Volunteering can also bring political rewards: in our contentious, militarized post-9/11 world, promoting more cooperation and compromise between countries may help to eradicate the dehumanizing “us versus them” mentality that fuels extremist violence. A desire to exchange cultural experiences firsthand – rather than to accomplish a list of tangible projects – motivated the first attempts at international volunteerism in a French village, and this desire should continue to drive contemporary programs. With a conscientious yet humble desire to work for positive change, volunteering abroad can be a powerful tool for promoting international public health.
Sources:
Service Civil International homepage,
Alison Silvis is a graduate of Stanford University.