IVS

The International Voluntary Service is a peace organization working for the sustainable development of local and global communities throughout the world. We are a leading charity which has existed since 1931, involving volunteers in international exchanges at home and abroad (international voluntary projects). IVS is the British branch of Civil Service International (SCI), a world-wide network of like-minded branches and partner organizations supporting the mutual exchange of volunteers to work on projects of direct benefit to local communities.

IVS aims are:

• To foster peace and understanding between people and nations through voluntary work.
• To provide volunteer help to international projects and organizations working for the benefit of the community.
• To organize international projects and other activities in the UK.

We deliver a range of activities, the largest of which is coordinating a program of international voluntary projects in Great Britain which are run in partnership with local voluntary organizations and community groups. A typical project consists of 6 to 15 volunteers from several countries who work and live together for 1 to 3 weeks. Projects are diverse, ranging from environmental conservation to supporting refugees, or from holiday play schemes for children to working with people with learning difficulties.

Additional activities include enabling disadvantaged young people to take part in international youth exchanges for 1 - 3 weeks, enabling homeless people to volunteer on an international volunteer project within the UK, co-ordinate bi-lateral exchanges for youth groups, deliver peace education to senior secondary school pupils, and to co-ordinate an employee volunteering scheme.

As the British branch of SCI, IVS also supports several aspects linked to international cooperation and conflict resolution such exchanges to countries in the Global South and from time to time we run specialized international training. Through our international network, we also enable volunteers from Great Britain to take part in international projects abroad and become involved in peace initiatives through international volunteering.