Community Volunteering for Change – Global
MULT20014/MULT30021
Make a Difference: Work with a Community Organisation in India or Indonesia
Project Dates: 27 June – 24 July 2015
The Faculty of Arts is offering an exciting new international community volunteering opportunity in partnership
with respected volunteering organisation Australian Volunteers International (AVI). AVI works with individuals,
organisations and communities in response to locally identified community priorities. Students enrolled in this
subject will be making a contribution to local communities through project work, research and engagement
with locally run development organisations in India and Indonesia.
Students will be enrolled in the Community Volunteering for Change – Global intensive subject and will be
awarded 12.50 credit points on satisfactory completion. The subject is available to undergraduate students in
their second or third year of study and will be credited towards their breadth studies.
Please note: This subject has a quota and enrolment is not automatic. The subject will incur additional costs
such as travel and accommodation.
About the Project
You will be placed with one of AVI’s partner organisations, in:
Indonesia: You will be placed with partner organisation Satunama, with its head office located in the
university city of Jogjakarta in central Java, Indonesia. Working in small groups you will be placed either in
Jogjakarta or rural locations within 1-2 hours’ drive. Each team will support implementation of Satunama’s
broad range of community development projects or initiatives centred on child rights and/or disability
inclusion. Primary activities to date have included building a ‘Child Friendly Community’ and promoting
inclusion of children and adults with disabilities at both the village and district levels. Satunama adopts a
holistic community development approach to achieve sustainable community goals.
India: (Delhi or Jaipur). Working in small groups you will be assigned an action research project focussed on
building awareness and advocacy of a social inclusion issue faced by a marginalised group within Indian
society. This could include working with communities excluded because of caste, tribe, religion, gender,
disability, geography, vocation, sexuality or age. You will support local partner organisations who aim to
improve the lives of these individuals and groups, enabling and empowering them to interact freely and
productively with others and to participate actively in the economic, social and political spheres of society.
About the Partners
Indonesia: Satunama is a not-for-profit organisation which works for people’s empowerment through
facilitation, advocacy, and training. Satunama is committed to promoting and striving for greater
democratisation, justice and welfare, and transparent, accountable, and clean governance. Satunama
works for a society where government and business work together without one dominating another to attain a
healthy and just Indonesian economy, culture and political system. Satunama strives for improved human
and civic rights through public policy that gives a voice to marginalised sections of society, builds and
strengthens networking between individuals, organisations and social parties, and so builds their capacity and
resilience.
India: Each project team will work alongside the staff and volunteers of a locally based partner organisation
to complete an action research piece from start to finish. Some of the partners this project has worked with in
the past include:
ComMutiny Youth Collective (CYC), an organisation set up to promote the rights of young people through
participation, development and Leadership. It is a collective of nearly 50 youth led and youth engaging
organisations working together.
Hope Project, which strives to provide people, especially the poor and vulnerable, with opportunities and
resources. The Hope Project currently runs a community health centre, a creche, a non-formal school,
vocational training courses, a thrift and credit program, and a women’s micro-enterprise unit.
Kat-Katha, whose work aims to enable and empower women working in brothels and their children to fulfil
aspirations that give them new avenues of sustenance, personal freedom, self-reliance and acceptance of
their work and themselves.
Inclusions
A project fee will apply and is to be advised (dependant on final student numbers). Included in this will be
basic shared accommodation (separated by gender), some meals, in-country travel required for the project
and all project activities. You will need to organise and pay for your own return airfares, visas, national police
check, TMVC medical check and necessary vaccinations. This will be approximately AUD1,300 per person.
How to Apply
To be eligible to apply you must be enrolled in the second or third year of an undergraduate program with the
University of Melbourne.
Go the CVC Global page on the Australian Volunteers International website at:
http://www.australianvolunteers.com/programs/university-partnerships/community-volunteering-for-changeglobal/
Download the application form and return the completed Word document, along with your CV, to
CVC_global@australianvolunteers.com
Applications must be submitted no later than midnight, Monday the 23rd of March, 2015.
Short-listed applicants will be required to undertake a formal interview. Selection into the program is subject to
a formal interview, a National Police Check, medical check and satisfactory completion of the pre-departure
program.
Selection Criteria
All applications will be assessed against the Key
Selection Criteria below:
Sound Academic Standing
Motivation & Commitment
Flexibility & Adaptability
Cross-cultural Sensitivity
Ability to work with others
Resilience
Commitment to Child Protection
Principles
Key Dates:
Application Deadline:
Interviews:
Orientation Session &
Welcome Dinner:
Pre-departure Briefing:
Travel Dates:
Re-entry Session:
23 March, 2015 (midnight)
30 March – 02 April, 2015
27 April, 2015
16 May, 2015
27 June – 24 July, 2015
TBC (half day session in week
commencing 27 July)
Class Presentation:
TBC (full day session in week
Tory Norris (03) 9279 858
commencing 27 July)
CVC_global@australianvolunteers.com
For further information please contact:
Australian Volunteers InternationalAmy Hunter (03) 9279 1781
Rachel Berman (03) 9279 1807
University of Melbournearts-internships-info@unimelb.edu.au