Who We Are

10 Years of Voluntario Global Voluntario Global

We are a grassroots organization. This means that we seek community solutions because we build a non-individualistic identity with determination and commitment to our experiences and our practical and professional knowledge.

We believe in intercultural learning, which translates into a critical philosophy of volunteer service, so rather than simply "giving" and "expecting something in return," our volunteer programs promote deeper pedagogical and existential questions that are relevant to a much wider range of situations where people cross significant differences of power and culture. Thus, in addition to an intention to collaborate across cultures, we seek to generate a critical awareness that accompanies volunteers as they confront the difficulties that all cross-cultural exchange presents.

Therefore, as part of our critical-learning philosophy, rather than providing volunteers with a self-indulgent opportunity to 'give back', we require them to ask more questions, challenge themselves and realize the difficulties presented by attempts to 'help others' without first thinking about radical change in global power structures.

 

Our Mission

We recognize that genuine exchange generates greater understanding between peoples and we promote the creation of social ties through the maintenance of a network of local and international organizations. 

Our Vision

Through these networks and our joint actions, we seek to promote education based on community and democratic values in order to generate critical thinking and achieve political participation that can transform social reality. We speak of social, economic and ecological transformations with sustainable development, equity and justice by identifying and denouncing a system that reproduces poverty, violence and marginalization.

Our Story

Valeria and Armin founded Voluntario Global in 2006 when they saw a window of opportunity for a mediating institution that would allow for a mutual exchange between the local communities of Buenos Aires and foreigners eager for a deeper insight into them. Initially we assisted in just one school support project, yet gradually other organizations contacted us and were added to our Network. Today we work with 16 different projects in Buenos Aires, and have founded two Cooperatives of our own: Su Lavanderia (2008) and Pacheco Community Center (2014).