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When politics feels remote, polarised or simply too big to touch, one of the oldest youth organisations in the world is offering a more hands-on answer: get on a plane, meet people whose lives are unlike your own, and work on something useful.
Founded in 1948, in the aftermath of the second world war, AIESEC describes itself as the world’s largest youth-run non-profit. Its original purpose was rooted in cross-cultural understanding at a time when Europe was trying to rebuild trust across borders. More than 75 years later, that idea has not exactly gone out of date.
Through its Global Volunteer programme, the organisation sends 18- to 30-year-olds abroad for projects linked to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, with placements typically lasting four to eight weeks. Volunteers work on schemes ranging from education and first aid to tourism marketing, economic development, marine conservation and projects designed to challenge prejudice.
“The reason why conflict starts is that people don’t understand each other,” says Mary-Treesa Rozario from AIESEC in USYD. “So cross-cultural understanding and global volunteering – the main purpose of the project – allow the volunteers to understand new cultures.”
