On April 23, 2008 a delegation of 10 Belarusian professionals visited the ACE office under USAID/World Learning’s Community Connections Program. Members of the delegation work at universities and nonprofits in Belarus including the Belarusian Economic Lawyers Organization, Education Without Borders, and the Russian State Social University. A Vermont-based non-profit, Project Harmony, facilitated the visit. Project Harmony’s mission is to build a strong global community by fostering civic leadership, harnessing Internet technology, and facilitating cross-cultural learning.
The trip was designed to help the delegation learn about ‘volunteerism and the volunteer movement’ while incorporating cultural immersion into American life through host family stays. In post-soviet Belarus, volunteerism as a component of civil society has been gaining ground; public associations and non-governmental organizations have gained some experience in this field since Belarus’ independence. However, the general restrictive policy and administrative environment in which NGOs operate in the country hampers development of individual volunteer and volunteer-based organizations and does little to encourage the emergence of a broader volunteer movement. Volunteer initiatives remain few, fragmented and local.
ACE office staff presented on ACE’s mission, programs, and work with students. The delegation was especially interested in learning about leadership development for student volunteers, the structure of volunteer programs, and how students interact with the wider Middlebury community.