International Voluntary Service (IVS)

IVS is based in Edinburgh, UK. We are currently engaged in acting as a Sending and Co-ordinating organisation for young UK residents who want to become EVS volunteers abroad. We are a leading charity involving volunteers in international exchanges worldwide. Our aims are to promote peace, social justice and understanding between people and nations through voluntary projects and activities, in which we regard the cultural exchange and learning aspect as paramount. We believe that volunteering is most effective when there is a diverse range of participants. IVS welcomes volunteers of all ages and backgrounds. We believe that an IVS project is of benefit to the volunteer, the volunteer project, the local community, and makes an important contribution towards international understanding and co-operation. For the individual, it creates an environment for building self-esteem and self-confidence: it is a learning experience which helps towards professional development and broadens horizons. Our activities within SCI normally include sending volunteers abroad , as well as receiving volunteers who wish to take part in multicultural projects in the Great Britain. We run both short-term (normally 2-3 weeks) and long-term (up to 12 months) projects, which allows our volunteers a degree of flexibility. In partnership with SCI, we also run training schemes in peace and global citizenship, conflict management, as well as courses which explain how to address cultural differences. Alongside the support and training that we provide to volunteers, both before and during their project, we also evaluate our partners and volunteers at the end of their placement, in order to establish how positive the experience was, and if anything can be improved upon. We also actively look to forge new partnerships with local organisations, which meet our criteria and share our values and views on building world peace. IVS attends events and fairs, where we seek to promote global citizenship, the benefits of volunteering and EVS opportunities.