Customer Reviews

Alternatives to the Peace Corps: A Directory of Third World and U.S. Volunteer Opportunities (9th Ed.)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm currently a college senior and I bought this book hoping to find opportunities to work/volunteer overseas after graduation. I was disappointed to find that many of the organizations listed in the book require payment to be able to volunteer. Most program costs are quite expensive. The book is also not well-organized -- organizations are only alphabetized, not categorized in terms of project interests or even short-term versus long-term volunteering. Many organizations listed also have religious affiliations. I agree with others that there needs to be alternative to the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, I don't think such alternatives can be found in this book.

Do you feel like helping out, but don't want to be a political pawn with the Peace Corps? Don't get me wrong, the Peace Corps do a lot of good work, but they are subject to the machinations of the US government. This little book is a great reference to other organizations, who do similar work without the government interference. Some of the groups are religious, some are not, and some are religious, but you don't have to be the same religion. It gives contact info, a brief summary of their purpose.

This book is great. Here's why.

People may question why there need to be alternatives to the Peace Corps. In my opinion, this is such an self-centered and ignorant view to take. There are many people in the world who are not American -- and thus cannot be in the Peace Corps. Or AmeriCorps or whatnot. I'm one of those many people -- I'm Canadian. What am I supposed to do to have as great a time as the Peace Corps volunteers? The book gives a lot of descriptions of opportunities for me. On top of this, only 3,000 of 100,000 in the Peace Corps are placed internationally every year; people who desire to go overseas would be advised to research other options. The book also focuses on the overseas aspect. Working with other volunteer programs also keeps the volunteer market competitive -- only so many people can be placed by the Peace Corps, it is good to provide so many other people with fulfilling volunteer work. I thought this book laid out the opportunities very well and clearly, though perhaps even more resources would've been helpful.

Just a note, having read the other reviews I would like to note that whoever claimed that the Peace Corps is non-political, yet at the same time a governmental organization is a fool.

sometimes you feel that your life has not so much color and you desparately looking at the sun to get some . and there are times that you see a pair of weak eyes that you feel so strong to protect them that you get into the deep see and then you fly to the sun and as the blue and the yellow atre dancing on your skin you feel the strongest weakest green bird in the whole world