Both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama have made voluntary national service an important component of their campaigns. Consequently, this is a promising time to consider expanding and reinvigorating the Peace Corps, an iconic American institution emblematic of both soft power and national service.  Visit site

Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Chaque dimanche après-midi dans la région de Grand’Anse, plus de 150 jeunes issus de plusieurs établissements secondaires ainsi que leurs professeurs d’éducation civique se réunissent pour discuter des défis que représente l’édification d’un état de droit en Haïti et des problèmes auxquels doit faire face la collectivité, particulièrement les jeunes et les femmes.  Read article

There are hundreds of thousands of volunteers working at the Beijing Olympics, screened from millions of applicants. But what kind of volunteers are they? This author has mixed feelings, and challenges readers to get back to her with their responses and observations.  Visit site

I believe that 'volunteer' and 'volunteering' are words that have many meanings. The common denominator among all meanings is 'work without pay'. But to me, volunteering also suggests a selfless quality; when you are volunteering, you are working without pay and without personal benefit or gain except the good feeling that comes with doing good.  Visit site

Manila, The Philippines: "We not only witness, but also experience, the extremes of poor and rich, hardship and comfort, within one day." A Chinese student in Manila describes the ironies that the volunteer life sometimes involves.  Read article