I'm really in need of opinions

[offshoreoildude]

Well zzm, actually I did think that the application process will be pretty rough, and they won't really just take anyone. At the very least, I take a shot at it...

But if I already fail the basic requirement of "Being an American citizen" then I already lost before I even begun the battle...

And yeah, it would've been a resume springboard if you have such experience.

My wife did Peace Corp. She loved it but wouldn't say it was a springboard (unless she really is a secret CIA agent).

[offshoreoildude]

http://www.sif.org.sg/siv/

[JR8]

And yeah, it would've been a resume springboard if you have such experience.

And therein lies the problem. You say you want to do charitable work, but in fact the motive is the opposite, it is to personally benefit yourself. True charity expects nil reward, 'not even a thank-you'.

I saw similar quite often when I was getting resumes from candidate interns from the US. They seemed to all feel that a bit of voluntary work rounded off their resumes. I imagine they believe a bit of spray-on philanthropy carries weight.

The trouble is, that as a result of this belief, you have seen the emergence and growth of pseudo charities: Companies who in return for your $000s, will facilitate some form of labour (however pointless) that you can present as having had real significance.

Just Google on 'belize reef survey volunteer' for 3+ million hits on that particular offering...


Just my 2c...

Edit: Typos... doh sorry!

[nakatago]

And yeah, it would've been a resume springboard if you have such experience.

And therein lies the problem. You say you want to do charitable work, but in fact the motive is the opposite, it is to personally benefit yourself. True charity expects nil reward, 'not even a thank-you'.

I saw similar quite often when I was getting resumes from candidate interns from the US. They seemed to all feel that a bit of voluntary work rounded off their resumes. I imagine they believe a bit of spray-on philanthropy carries weight.

The trouble is, that as a result of this belief, you have seen the emergence and growth of pseudo charities: Companies who in return for your $000s, will facilitate some for of labour (however pointless) that you can present as having had real significance.

Just Google on 'belize reef survey volunteer' form 3+ million hits on that particular offering...


Just my 2c...

I participated in a tree planting program in Woodlands as part of my company's outreach.

When we got there, the holes have been dug already and the sack covering the clump of soil of the saplings' roots have been removed.

Our company had us in groups of six. Six people to put a tree and fill-in dirt.

I thought it was just our group but I saw a man with his family celebrating his 50th birthday. Same set-up. Shovel in dirt, pose for a photo.

[JR8]

I participated in a tree planting program in Woodlands as part of my company's outreach.

When we got there, the holes have been dug already and the sack covering the clump of soil of the saplings' roots have been removed.

Our company had us in groups of six. Six people to put a tree and fill-in dirt.

I thought it was just our group but I saw a man with his family celebrating his 50th birthday. Same set-up. Shovel in dirt, pose for a photo.

I wonder if your company paid to participate in this. If so it seems exactly same-same.

My ex-employer (a bank) used to have an annual '''charity''' programme called 'Christmas Calls'. The last weekend before Xmas they'd ship in coachloads of pensioners, who lived in London but hailed from all around the world. They were each given an hour +/- to call which ever relatives they liked, anywhere in the world. We'd get Santa in, with free gifts and a decent Xmas lunch, and two way transport in and back home.

This was before the days of mass-market discount 'call over-ride' but the technology was similar, in that the trading floor phone lines were permanently open, and it didn't impact cost if calls were made, or how many, or where to. So the calls cost nothing. The staff attending were all volunteers. Santa was a member of staff. So the only cost was F+B, token (probably branded, lol) gifts, and transport.

Of course we'd also invite in all the media, and just about every year it would be a feel-good front page picture splash, on the nations broadsheet dailies.

What a total con-trick.

[nakatago]

I participated in a tree planting program in Woodlands as part of my company's outreach.

When we got there, the holes have been dug already and the sack covering the clump of soil of the saplings' roots have been removed.

Our company had us in groups of six. Six people to put a tree and fill-in dirt.

I thought it was just our group but I saw a man with his family celebrating his 50th birthday. Same set-up. Shovel in dirt, pose for a photo.

I wonder if your company paid to participate in this. If so it seems exactly same-same.
.

Of course. It's in Singapore

You silly, little humanitarian.

[Akimbo]

I participated in a tree planting program in Woodlands as part of my company's outreach.

When we got there, the holes have been dug already and the sack covering the clump of soil of the saplings' roots have been removed.

Our company had us in groups of six. Six people to put a tree and fill-in dirt.

I thought it was just our group but I saw a man with his family celebrating his 50th birthday. Same set-up. Shovel in dirt, pose for a photo.

I wonder if your company paid to participate in this. If so it seems exactly same-same.
.

Of course. It's in Singapore

You silly, little humanitarian.

So the "volunteering" part is only putting a tree in the ground while posing for a photo and close it with a clump of dirt........where's the fun of humanitarian volunteering in that?

It's all supposed to be hard labor work with digging up holes in the ground, carrying the trees from a truck and planting them one by one and such...at the end of the day, that's where you get the satisfaction of your work. It's also exercise...

Kinda makes me wonder about the "Urban Farming" volunteering program that Sbux is planning on Sunday 28th April...

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Sbux at all...just saw the small brochure while I ordered my coffee at Vivo's branch.

[zzm9980]

My wife did Peace Corp. She loved it but wouldn't say it was a springboard (unless she really is a secret CIA agent).

Interestingly serving in the Peace Corp is a permanent disqualification from numerous CIA, FBI, State Dept, and other US Gov positions that require security clearances. I'm not sure if it is because the assumption is someone in the Peace Corp is a bleeding heart hippy that was likely already turned by foreign agents, or that they are trying to distance themselves from the Peace Corp as to keep them safe in hostile territories that may very well assume they're CIA agents.

[nakatago]

So the "volunteering" part is only putting a tree in the ground while posing for a photo and close it with a clump of dirt........where's the fun of humanitarian volunteering in that?

It's all supposed to be hard labor work with digging up holes in the ground, carrying the trees from a truck and planting them one by one and such...at the end of the day, that's where you get the satisfaction of your work. It's also exercise....

It's all PR and looking good. Good karma for sale.

[offshoreoildude]

My wife did Peace Corp. She loved it but wouldn't say it was a springboard (unless she really is a secret CIA agent).

Interestingly serving in the Peace Corp is a permanent disqualification from numerous CIA, FBI, State Dept, and other US Gov positions that require security clearances. I'm not sure if it is because the assumption is someone in the Peace Corp is a bleeding heart hippy that was likely already turned by foreign agents, or that they are trying to distance themselves from the Peace Corp as to keep them safe in hostile territories that may very well assume they're CIA agents.

Probably the latter. At any rate... the 'real' agents are not openly recruited.

[JR8]

So the "volunteering" part is only putting a tree in the ground while posing for a photo and close it with a clump of dirt........where's the fun of humanitarian volunteering in that?

It's all supposed to be hard labor work with digging up holes in the ground, carrying the trees from a truck and planting them one by one and such...at the end of the day, that's where you get the satisfaction of your work. It's also exercise...

Kinda makes me wonder about the "Urban Farming" volunteering program that Sbux is planning on Sunday 28th April...

Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Sbux at all...just saw the small brochure while I ordered my coffee at Vivo's branch.

It's like the reef-census, it is facilitating spray-on philanthropic PR from which the 'EZY-facilitators' rake a fat profit. Since so many people/PLCs wish to be seen as green/eco/socially responsible/giving back to the community blah blah blah ( ) there is a thriving market for providing such philanthropy-lite activities and PR.

If Sbux were being truly charitable they'd give away a few million to local charities. But no, instead they want to engage a bunch of customers, most of whom wouldn't know one end of a fork from another, in the 'noble' manual labour of planting vegetables. Am I cycnical, in finding them terribly cynical? ...


Another example: ...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cows_on_Parade