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Volunteer Work Abroad?
MKalus asks: "Looking at what is going on in the world right now and realizing that computers are not everything (yes, there is more than that) I was considering for quite some time now volunteering in an international project. I was looking at institutions like Casa Alianza and Doctors Without Borders but the problem I am facing is that all of these organizations mainly seem to search for volunteers in medical fields and not so much in High Tech Areas. This is, of course, understandable as I don't really think anybody needs a server farm if they don't have enough to eat at the end of the day." Update: 12/03 15:19 GMT by C :MKalus has been reading the comments sent in so far, but had this bit to add: "I am NOT from the US, I am german living in Canada, as such things like the Peace Corps for example are not a viable option."
"Now I am aware of several organisations where you can go for two weeks in a developing country and help on a farm etc. I also remember the Geekcorps but as nice as it sounds to bring the internet in parts of the world who don't have it I don't quite see the sense in it when at the same time thousands of people die everyday.
So here's the question: Is there a geek out there who managed to volunteer for a longer period (6 months to a year or maybe even longer) in a project abroad, something along the lines of those I've mentioned abobe?"
You aren't really specific about whether you most want to help in places in need (in which, yes, you'll surely have to pick some other contribution than I.T.) or just go abroad with the talents you've got.
Many commentators say the best bang for the 1st world's development bucks will come from helping nations that are hurting but are also developing - to help tip the balance towards upward progress.
In which case, I think you don't even have to travel far. Learn Spanish and do some travelling south of the Rio Grande and I think you'll find Mexico and other latin american countries are in endless need of teachers and NGO office volunteers that know their way around a computer.
Infrastructure is nice. Infrastructure is good. Having the right equipment, irrigation and transportation would certainly be welcome.
But information is the next best thing. You may not have a tractor, but knowing how to plow a field without causing soil erosion is important. You can't build an effective grain silo without having the plans for one; but if you know how they're laid out, you might cobble one together.
I suppose you could photocopy a bunch of plans and hand them out, but the net allows neighboring villages to share their experiences and figure out what works in that area and what won't, and to make arrangements to buy equipment and materials on the cheap when it becomes available.
Of course the net is no panacea, but it's of more help than you might think.
You'd be doing the world a lot more good if you stayed in the States and used your most productive years to start a business that employed gazillions of people. There are two advantages to this: In the interim, gazillions of employees have enough disposable income to be able to settle down and raise families, and, in the long run, when you get old you will have enough money to really help the beneficiary of your choice.
PS: Most charities are, at best, fraudulent, but are more likely to be detrimental to the very people they are supposed to help.
If I were you I'd look into organizations whose primary focus is infrastructure development. Building schools, developing industry, and raising the general standard of living is a far more effective goal. It may not have the same immediate gratification of medical aide, but in the long run it's a lot better for the people and probably more along the lines of your skills.
Schools could always use the extra tech support/experience. As a technical volunteer of a school district, I can tell you how challenging it can be. A lot of that work is domestic, but I'm sure schools abroad could use the help too. Education is always going to be an important place for technology, because that's where people like you and I are trained early on. My school did not have very much technology when I was there, but I was lucky enough to have experience elsewhere in it at a young age, and I think that is what has allowed me to succeed in the technology world today.
Trying is the First Step to Failing --Homer Simpson
When I was a support tech some of my co-workers went out and worked on systems for paralyzed people, MS patients, and so on. They weren't supposed to but did it because the customers had no other access to technical help. Many of these users had old discard computers given to them by charities. They were living on extremely minimal disability payments and had no money to pay for upgrades, parts, or tech support.
This is still the case, only I am out of contact with this segment of the user community since leaving tech support. But they're still there, they're still poor, and they need online access more than anybody else does. Often it is their only method of communicating with the outside world--several of our paralyzed users couldn't even talk, could only type with a stick. The government provides only enough assistance to keep these people alive. Somebody else has to help them keep in touch with the human community.
Many years ago, I voluteered to teach in a rural school in Texas. I did this for two years and taught all of their Computer courses. I even wrote some specialized tutorial software for the schools. It was a blast. Go to: VESS
... helping to run the election.
...]
No, this didn't use my software engineering skills, but it did use my management experience gained on software projects. (Oh, and really you do need some experience of elections as well.)
[Most of the volunteers at the Kosovo election were looking forward with more or less trepidation to the call to Afghanistan in a couple of years' time
You should be happy you didnt get to hook up with Doctors Without a Conscience ... unless you like playing god along with them.
...yeah, it means about as much as an MTV award.
This 'humanitarian' organization kicked out its Greek chapter because it refused to play god.
The Greeks went to Yugoslavia while the country was being bombed for three straights months (NYC residents would have been shitting in their pants after the first week) against the wishes of this 'humanitarian' group who gets to decide who lives and dies.
Then again, look at the winners of of that pop prize....killers and murderers (jews and palestinian) and Uncle Tom (Kofi Anan)
Remember what the president of CARE Australia said in Canada 2-3 years ago about CARE Canada?
"Were sick and tired of Canada using their NGO's for all their intelligence work because those of us who arent involved in spying end up paying the price."
So what does this entail? You can make a shitload of money here -- really, all you have to do is work. What you do with that money is about the most impact you can have. Investing capital in companies creates economies, domestically and overseas. For the QED: invest in companies or mutual funds that either help where you deem a great need exists, or toward an ideal you hold. Whatever. Your money is your vote.
Some links:
Socially Responisible investing
Mutual Funds, green and otherwise
What the World Wants
This is really important. That is the information regarding the amount of
the world military resources being three times that needed to solve all
the major problems in the world.
The logic is along the lines of preventitive health care.
Solve the problems, take care of the world, and you greatly reduce the
probability of conflict and of course prevent large bills of warfare.
The more people that digest this information, the sooner it will happen!
with heart! 3seas
P.S. Of the many ways computer technology fits in: this may be of interest.
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If you're Canadian, CUSO is always recruiting for IT postions. My first job out of college was a netcorps (6 month) postion in Kingston, Jamaica. Basically building crappy Access databases (if you can consider Access a database) some web pages, and a lot of training. Once here I made some contacts with an organisation (PACT) and 3 or 4 months after I went home they called and had me back as a full CUSO cooperant, with a little extra pay. Now I'm halfway through a 2-year contract and I've been told that I can stay longer if I choose.
Right now I'm developing our web page (www.jamaica-kidz.com , yeah should be .org but it was already there when I started and we can't afford to alias it) and a Performance Tracking System database (to give funders indicators on the results of the project). This is all to help a nation-wide literacy project.
Overall it's a great job... I travel all over the island working with over 30 organisations, and on the weekends I'm a few hours drive from the nicest beaches in the world. Of course there is some amount of violence here... but after a while you know how to keep safe.
If you are looking for computer related jobs in the third world, there are positions out there. check CUSO, and also VSO (I was gonna take a postion with them before I got a better offer from CUSO).
There are a lot of developing nations where there already is running water, electricity and (in most parts) telephone. In these countries education is a priority and that's where the computers come in. Computers can be used to help people to learn to read. And besides that, do you think it's a good idea to for countries that are already behind to get further behind by neglecting IT? I wish anyone considering this line of work lots of luck.