The IB has been accompanying voluntary services for young people for more than 50 years. In these services, mostly young people under 27 years of age can volunteer in the social and ecological fields as well as in culture and sports – in institutions worldwide – for a certain period of time (generally 12 months).
According to our guiding principles, we motivate people through voluntary services to develop freely, to shape their own life, to integrate into society, to assume personal responsibility and to contribute actively to the development of society in Germany, Europe and worldwide. True to the motto ‘I win, you win’, our volunteers are not only committed to assuming an active role in supporting their fellow citizens and their environment: they are also given the opportunity to gain valuable experiences and to improve their personal and social competences.
The IB Volunteers’ Abroad Programmes (VAP) offer young German volunteers (aged between 18 and 29 years) to work with our host organisations worldwide. Our current partners are located in several countries in South America, Africa, Europe, as well as the USA, Australia, New Zealand, India and Israel. Usually, the voluntary services begin in August/September and end in July/August the following year.
Our volunteers are employed in social care for children, adolescents, elderly people and people with disabilities, in the field of human rights, education and development, communal work as well as in nature conservancy.
Performing voluntary service(s) abroad means showing commitment to peace, justice and dialogue between people from different cultural backgrounds. Furthermore, in a world that is continuously globalized, an international voluntary service contributes in a significant way to the personal development of young people.
We cooperate with the programs "Weltwärts" (financially supported by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)), the International Youth Voluntary Service (IFJD) (financially supported by the German Ministry for Family, Seniors, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)) and offer also our own voluntary service IB Volunteers (self-financed).
Hosting an international volunteer will bring you an intercultural (working) atmosphere, a different vision of work and a lot of potential for innovation. It will also bring you in contact with a young person that is full of enthusiasm and eager to learn. This means an exchange process for the volunteer, the IB and for the host organisations.
