News, 2012, Volunteering is the new black
While our prevailing faith in rationalism and science has rendered traditional religions somewhat superfluous now, human beings’ innate desire for meaning is yet to be quieted.
In our search for meaning, we have rediscovered the beauty of charity. Research suggests that we are volunteering now more than ever before.
With the rise of globalization, it is increasingly difficult to ignore international community needs. Our once big world and the far-flung gaps between our countries are becoming increasingly narrowed.
The abundant access we have to volunteerism through reliable programs and organisations has compounded this. But more than anything, it is our quest for meaning that drives this need to give back.
Today, that desire starts with high school students joining international volunteer programs with the help of organisations such as Antipodeans Abroad.
A group that introduces the concept of international volunteering and community collaboration to students by incorporating unique travel experiences with sustainable, grassroots volunteer projects overseas, Antipodeans Abroad has brought developing country needs into the view of Australian students.
No longer is a gap year or overseas travel merely about seeing new sights. It’s about emersion with people and places, supporting global development via personal input.
And it’s a trend quenching that rising need for our experiences to be lined with real meaning; a knowledge that our personal footprint leaves behind nothing less than positive change.
If volunteering is the new black, it is most certainly a trend worth investing in – and one that is unlikely to lose its fashionable foothold in the foreseeable future.