Foreign adventures – What does international volunteering give us?

Csenge Kolozsvári

Abstract

The aim of this case study is to introduce the activities of the Bridge Youth Foundation supporting international volunteers; thus, to explore the importance of international volunteering both for the development of young people and for the promotion of social activism. The case study that presents the volunteering activities of our organization discusses how the mainstream relates to the volunteerism among youth, why a young person volunteers abroad, how such a process takes place from an organizational point of view, and what happens after the volunteers return home. This paper also sheds light on the difference between conscious and real values, their importance in volunteering, and the transformation of them. Finally, the paper highlights the untapped potential of the European Solidarity Corps programme and the future plans of the Bridge Youth Foundation for international volunteering.

Keywords: international volunteering, European Solidarity Corps, Bridge Youth Foundation, learning mobility, young people