idealist.org

We are looking for volunteers to provide hardware, software (both Linux and Windows) and web support. While there is no language requirement for providing hardware support, this volunteer needs to converse, read and write in English and Spanish at an intermediate level or higher to be able to provide us with website assistance. Flexibility and a positive attitude are required.

The Prout Research Institute needs people who are interested in applying their knowledge and skills to assisting cooperatives, rural development and economic democracy in Venezuela.

Benefits:
PRI Venezuela will:
• train you in the basics of Prout.
• teach you how the Institute and the larger Proutist Universal network functions.
• work collectively, where every idea counts. With time, your role in the team will evolve into what suits you.
• support your intellectual development and contributions to scholarly work.
• support your community outreach and education efforts.
• provide the opportunity to gain experience and improve your languge skills in an international office setting.
• provide practical experience and a forum for improving and expanding your skill set.
• provide a working environment that is clean, fair, safe, respectful of all, and free of any kind of exploitation.
• provide the opportunity to experience Venezuela.
• try to fairly resolve any problems, grievances or difficulties you may have while you volunteer with us.
• provide a spiritual environment including meditation and yoga classes to inspire you in your personal development.

One senior activist who visited us recently said, “If I was a young person, I would go to Venezuela for a couple of years, because this is where everything is happening!” The government's efforts to alleviate poverty and create a “New Socialism for the 21st Century” has resulted in significant advances in education and health care, and more than 66,000 cooperatives are functioning, the second largest number in any country, after China.

Who we are looking for:
All Interns must be flexible, self-motivated and ready to work as a positive team member in a collaborative environment. Interns are expected to work at least 40 hours a week, and are required to participate in daily yoga classes, group meditations, and chores including meal preparation and maintenance. We seek individuals of all ages and ethnicities to work in an environment that is clean, fair, safe, respectful of all, and free of any kind of exploitation.

The four most important criteria for choosing our interns and awarding scholarships are:
• Positive personality: We are especially interested in working with volunteers who have exhibited the following characteristics in their past endeavors: dedication, sincerity, enthusiasm, determination, self-discipline, self-motivation, cooperation, supportiveness , flexibility, a positive attitude and emotional stability as well as a willingness to work on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Skills, education, experience: We are seeking a wide range of people with different abilities. Please tell us how you envision your particular skill set benefiting our institute.
• Length of stay: While the length of commitment can vary, the longer a volunteer can stay, the more effectively they can assist with our projects. It can take several months for a volunteer to develop Venezuelan contacts and become oriented in the Institute, Caracas and Venezuela. Additionally, our staff invests time training our interns and volunteers, so we prefer to accept people who can commit to working for six months to a year.
• Spanish ability: Your capacity to work independently here is very much related to your ability to communicate. Thus, the more fluent you are in Spanish, the better. If you are not yet fluent, your dedication and self-discipline to study intensively every day until you are is important to us.


Costs:
Interns are asked to donate $100/week or $400/month to cover their room and board. However scholarships are available for those staying for an extended period of time, depending on available funding and the volunteer’s skills. All interns will have to cover their own transportation to and from Caracas, pocket money, personal toiletries, and additional sightseeing outside of Caracas. We welcome suggestions for additional funding sources.

Health Care:
Health care is the government provided health care system in Venezuela and includes basic medical, dental and vision care. Interns may choose to purchase their own additional travel insurance.

University Credit:
Graduate and undergraduate students may apply. You may be eligible to receive college credit for your internship. Several advisory board members serve as university faculty members in various countries who can assist the development of a contract for intern or service-learning programs.

Application process:
First email your resume and a letter expressing the reasons why you want an internship with the institute, how you put your ideals into action in your individual life, as well as the preferred dates of your internship. Applications and letters should be sent to: priv@prout.org or branchm1@gmail.com.
We will e-mail potential interns a questionnaire that must be completed and returned to us. After we receive and review your responses to our questionnaire we will schedule interviews for potential interns with PRI´s Director as well as the President of the Institute. For those who are not in Venezuela, the interviews will be done by telephone. In most cases, the applicant will be responsible for telephoning PRI. The starting date and duration of stay will be mutually agreed upon.