International voluntary projects, where volunteers from all over the world live and work together with local communities. They are primarily for 2 to 3 weeks through July and September with 10 to 30 participants.

●Brief History  
 In 1920, the first workcamp was started in France by German and French youths reconstructing the farms destroyed during World War I. Since then, workcamps have been spreading throughout the world. In the 60’s, the primary focus was on construction, organized in new country locations as well as peace projects between Eastern and Western Europe. Environmentally directed workcamps have been on the increase since the 80’s. In 2008, 3,000 projects took place in 98 different countries.

●Voluntary Projects  
 Usually for 6-8 hours a day and 5 days a week. The types of projects vary.

☆Environment
 Cleaning rivers, planting trees, animal conservation?and ecosystem protection, creating eco-villages, etc.

☆Agriculture
 Picking fruits or seeding in organic farms, reviving uncultivated fields, etc. 

☆Arts/Education
 Organizing festivals, performing play against AIDS in schools, archaeology, etc.

☆Construction
 Schools, toilets, renovating castles, converting farms into youth centers, etc. 

☆Social work
 With and for children, refugees, mentally or physically disadvantaged people, elders, etc.

☆Others  
 Advocacy of town planning proposals, recycling and sending bicycles to India, etc.  

●Accommodations & Leisure activities 
 Accommodation is typically in youth centers, public halls, schools and sometimes tents or temples that are simple but make for a dynamic group life! Volunteers often take turns cooking and get to enjoy many different international cuisines. The common language is English in a majority of the workcamps although you are encouraged to try to communicate in the local language. In some workcamps, the hosts or the volunteers organize discussions, sports programs, excursions, school visits and exchanges with local people. It is very important to note that workcamps are a shared experience created by all the volunteers and the local community. Volunteers are not guests!

Go to the International workcamps in the world   in Japan