CCIVS does not recruit volunteers directly. If you want to join a voluntary service action, you have to contact an organisation in the country where you are living - you will find a link to the members list below.

Profile of volunteers: CCIVS member organisations generally work with non-specialised volunteers of all ages, who want to invest their time, energy and ideas in a project for the benefit of a local community anywhere on earth.

Duration: The projects can be short term (2-4 weeks), medium term (up to 3 months) or long term ( up to 1 or even 2 years). The short term projects are usually group projects called workcamps, while the medium or long term projects usually consist in individual placements within a given community. Please refer to the section on the CCIVS concept to learn more about the philosophy behind international voluntary service.

Costs: Generally speaking you will have to pay a registration fee to the sending organisation, which orients you towards the appropriate program. Travel costs are usually paid by the volunteers themselves, while board and lodging can be provided by the host organisation. In the case of projects in economically disadvantaged countries, a participation fee can be requested by the hosting organisation.

Preparation: In the case of big cultural differences between the sending and hosting countries, the organisations can demand that the volunteer should participate in special training sessions before departure or upon arrival. In any case it is necessary that the volunteers prepare themselves properly before departure (please refer to the sections "motivation", "culture shock" and "intercultural learning" below).

If you are looking for placements for professional volunteers to serve on a longer term basis while receiving an indemnity, you may want to visit the web-site of the United Nations Volunteers: http://www.unv.org/volunteers/index.htm
Attention: UNV volunteers are generally above 30 years of age and have a substantial professional work experience!

The European Commission Youth Programme provides a possibility through the "European Voluntary Service" to participate in a voluntary service project abroad for free. The program equally allows for group projects, which are completely funded. The program is generally open for young EU residents between 18 - 26 years of age. Many CCIVS member organisations work with the program, you will find the projects organised through the Youth Program when consulting their catalogues or upon request. For further information on the Youth Programme please visit the website http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/program/index_en.html
For further information on all projects organised under the scheme, please visit:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/youth/program/sos/index_en.html
Please check with the sending organisations of your country of residence for the exact conditions related to fees and projects organised under the Youth Programme.