International Volunteer Info
Hello All!
So, a couple of us last night on GACKT's living room broadcast decided that we (the international fans) need to stand up together and do something.
A lot of people commented on the fact that they want to go to Japan and help distribute goods and help rebuild. This is wonderful. There are a lot of groups that offer international volunteer opportunities, few however are to Japan, due to the fact Japan is a 1st world country. Keep this in mind when doing your research. I myself have researched it. With my research I found that there are some draw backs to going and some benefits.
The draw backs -- aka reason not to go -- why we can't go (just yet)
***Please keep all of this in mind before you sign up to help***
RADIATION (yes they won't send people over until that goes away. Even the Japanese people are getting limited access to these areas. So until it goes down international volunteers is HIGHLY unlikely. But not impossible.)
Language barrier (We don't know what the Japanese need (however there is now a list of items to send) if we are to work in close proximity to the Japanese, we have to have enough people who speak English and Japanese fluently. Other wise the left hand won't know what the right hand is doing. Which can cause a lot of problems and miscommunication in a situation like this is bad!)
Food (They can hardly handle feeding the people of Japan that are from the disaster areas. We do not want to burden the all ready dwindling food supply.)
Expect to be there awhile. (I know that each group that sends volunteers offers different 'sign ups'. Some will allow you to stay a month some a couple of weeks and those may ask you to sign up for a year or more. It all depends on the group you go with. With that most groups offer to pay for food, housing, and supplies. The cost to get there and miscellaneous money is on you, volunteer work is FREE)
Now, these are some of the reasons why we can't do it right now, but one day we WILL be able to help. The benefits to going...
Show international support (So Japan, and the world; that there are people out there who care for and about people they have never meet, my never meet, and willing to give our selves unconditionally to an effort from the heart. There are Unselfish people out there)
Bring hope to the Japanese (With the knowledge that people are there helping, helping to rebuild a destroyed city the people can have faith and be able to go on with their lives with out fear. They will no longer have to worry "When will i get my home back?" "How am i going to rebuild and work and support a family?" These fears will be limited if not non existent.)
Build International friends (Make connections from all over the world build friendships)
Go down in history (This may be a slightly selfish reason but oh well. The mass efforts of internal volunteers will always be remembered. In the history books when they tell of the disaster they will tell of the people who sacrificed their own time, money, and effort to help rebuild a great country.)
Now, with that I have come up with a list of organizations that offers or want to/plan to offer volunteer abilities.
Please before signing up for ANY group, research them, know what you are getting into. Talk to other volunteers. Also, think twice before you go with a group you have to pay to join. DO YOUR REASEARCH!!!
Groups that go to Japan
All Hands Volunteer/Hands.org -- I myself have been looking into this one. They currently have a mission statement however they have no dates (due to radiation)
VFP Volunteer For Peace
Volunteer Abroad
Crash Japan -- Thank you pyroyale for this info
2nd Harvest Japan
Other groups for volunteering (read their sites they may help you understand what you will get into)
EF Education First - or EF Education First -- brought to you by google.com
International Volunteer HQ --
Cross-Cultural Solutions
IVPA (International Volunteer Program Association)
Global Volunteers
International Student Volunteer
Global Volunteer Network
International Medical Volunteers Association
~~~Living while Volunteering~~~
Living accommodations are very basic. People maybe sharing one room of a former office building, tents, open air buildings, the lucky few may be able to get a house/trailer. A lucky few may also have a small kitchen with running water. MOST/ALL will have no centralized heat/air or hot water. Volunteers will more than likely be sleeping on the floor on tatamimats with kerosene/personal heaters. There may be a bathroom with toilets but they will rely on buckets/scoops for showers. Expect the sleep space & bathrooms to NOT be gender-separated. Internet and phone lines are unlikely as well. Most things will need to be supplied by you.