Concordia (Youth Service Volunteers) Ltd
Encyclopedia
Concordia is a non-profit, non-political and non-sectarian charity based in the south-east of England
. Its work is divided into two areas: a Seasonal Agricultural Work Scheme (SAWS) for foreign students to experience farming in the UK and an International Volunteer Programme which organises short-term international voluntary projects in the UK, as well as sending UK volunteers abroad.
Concordia was founded to encourage young British
people to help with the war effort by harvesting fruits and crops from the fields. Participants benefited from a holiday and were able to earn a modest amount of money at the same time. The scheme proved so popular that after the end of the war there was a big demand for it to be continued. In keeping with the atmosphere of international reconciliation prevalent after the war, it was suggested that young people from all nations be invited to take part to increase understanding, and make a contribution to peace among nations. In 1949 the charity's name was change to Concordia (Youth Service Volunteers) and since that date it has given the opportunity for people from over 50 nations to participate in the agriculture scheme.
-approved SAWS scheme, students from outside the UK are permitted to work for up to 6 months on a UK farm
. Typically they are placed with vegetable
, fruit
and flower
growers in the south-east of England where they are able to cover their expenses and earn some extra money to take home. Chiefly, the benefits to the students include:
and open-mindedness. The diversity of each group, mixed with the project work and socialising create a unique intercultural experience.
The work carried out on every project is different. Some examples include environmental
/conservation
work, renovation
of historical buildings, assisting in a disabled people's home, teaching English to school children and working with young offenders.
Concordia currently sends UK volunteers to over 60 countries to participate in the volunteer projects of partner organisations through CCIVS
and the Alliance. Two separate programmes exist: the Standard Programme (broadly Europe
, the USA, Japan
and South Korea
) and the North South Programme (Africa
, Asia
and Latin America
). Volunteers wishing to take part on a North South project must attend a preparation weekend before departure, to ensure volunteers know what to expect when visiting these less developed countries
.
The main season for international volunteer projects is during the summer (June-September) although some projects do take place in the autumn and springtime.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Its work is divided into two areas: a Seasonal Agricultural Work Scheme (SAWS) for foreign students to experience farming in the UK and an International Volunteer Programme which organises short-term international voluntary projects in the UK, as well as sending UK volunteers abroad.
Origin
In 1943, during World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Concordia was founded to encourage young British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
people to help with the war effort by harvesting fruits and crops from the fields. Participants benefited from a holiday and were able to earn a modest amount of money at the same time. The scheme proved so popular that after the end of the war there was a big demand for it to be continued. In keeping with the atmosphere of international reconciliation prevalent after the war, it was suggested that young people from all nations be invited to take part to increase understanding, and make a contribution to peace among nations. In 1949 the charity's name was change to Concordia (Youth Service Volunteers) and since that date it has given the opportunity for people from over 50 nations to participate in the agriculture scheme.
Seasonal Agricultural Work Scheme
The aim of the SAWS programme is to bring together young people from all over the world and give them the opportunity of living and working together to promote a better understanding between participants, and ultimately, promote a better understanding between their native countries. Under the Home OfficeHome Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
-approved SAWS scheme, students from outside the UK are permitted to work for up to 6 months on a UK farm
Farm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. Typically they are placed with vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
growers in the south-east of England where they are able to cover their expenses and earn some extra money to take home. Chiefly, the benefits to the students include:
- An opportunity to see the UK
- A working holiday where they can earn extra money to take home
- A great chance to practise their EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
- An opportunity to meet, work alongside and form lasting relationships with students from other countries, thereby gaining a real insight into their country and cultureCultureCulture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
.
International Volunteer Programme
Through the International Volunteer Programme, Concordia organises UK-based short-term international volunteer projects, as well as sending UK volunteers on partner organisation's projects abroad. Projects involve a group of international volunteers, living and working together on a community-based project for a short period of time (typically 2-3 weeks). Participants on the projects have a great opportunity to meet people from other cultures and to develop personal qualities such as co-operation, toleranceToleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
and open-mindedness. The diversity of each group, mixed with the project work and socialising create a unique intercultural experience.
The work carried out on every project is different. Some examples include environmental
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
/conservation
Conservation movement
The conservation movement, also known as nature conservation, is a political, environmental and a social movement that seeks to protect natural resources including animal, fungus and plant species as well as their habitat for the future....
work, renovation
Renovation
Renovation is the process of improving a structure. Two prominent types of renovations are commercial and residential.-Process:The process of a renovation, however complex, can usually be broken down into several processes...
of historical buildings, assisting in a disabled people's home, teaching English to school children and working with young offenders.
Concordia currently sends UK volunteers to over 60 countries to participate in the volunteer projects of partner organisations through CCIVS
CCIVS
Co-ordinating Committee for International Voluntary Service or CCIVS began in its modern form in 1920. The idea was the result of a meeting of a group of Europeans following the First World War...
and the Alliance. Two separate programmes exist: the Standard Programme (broadly Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, the USA, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
) and the North South Programme (Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
). Volunteers wishing to take part on a North South project must attend a preparation weekend before departure, to ensure volunteers know what to expect when visiting these less developed countries
Developing country
A developing country, also known as a less-developed country, is a nation with a low level of material well-being. Since no single definition of the term developing country is recognized internationally, the levels of development may vary widely within so-called developing countries...
.
The main season for international volunteer projects is during the summer (June-September) although some projects do take place in the autumn and springtime.
Costs
One of the attractive features of joining an international volunteer project through Concordia is the relatively low cost of participation. Typically, a fee of only 150 GBP provides for food and accommodation while on the project, although volunteers must pay their own travel expenses to and from the project.External links
- Concordia homepage
- UNA Exchange - a similar organisation to Concordia, based in WalesWalesWales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...