From service to solidarity
The starting point for the VSO and CUSO model of volunteering was the notion of filling the skills gap in newly emerging societies. As countries in the Third World gained their political independence, they needed to build up their infrastructure, especially in health and education. CUSO and VSO volunteers were a valuable resource in those early years.
Over time, both VSO and CUSO moved toward a capacity-building model of volunteer cooperation. They worked in collaboration with partner organizations in the developing world, placing volunteers who work in solidarity not just service. The two organizations long shared a value of respect for local partners groups in the developing world, and a commitment to work with people at the grassroots of change.
In North America, a merged organization that combines the history, experience and long-standing commitment to social justice of CUSO with the energy, willingness to innovate and global reach of VSO, is in a strong position to ensure that volunteering for development remains as relevant in the 21st century as it was in the 20th.
Join us as CUSO-VSO turns 50 in June 2011.
