Requirements for a volunteer service with ASF

Most volunteers are between 18 and 27 years old, but older people are also welcome to participate in our programme.

We do not expect trained professionals or social workers, even when in some projects certain abilities are required. We expect individuals who are prepared to open themselves up to new experiences: meeting and working together with other people, getting to know other backgrounds, opinions, work atmospheres, beliefs, and thoughts. Experience working together with other people as well as an interest in politics and social work are prerequisites which make situations that occur in your project and the project country more manageable.

In most projects, very good language skills are required, so begin studying as soon as possible!

The ASF service is twelve months long. A peace service is not an ordinary job and differs greatly from being an au pair. There are no employee-employer relationships and much of the work that volunteers do is independently organized, but that does not mean that volunteers are left alone in what they do. Volunteers meet each other at seminars where they discuss their experiences, work together, and of course, have a good time. Volunteers are also not alone in their projects but work together, for the most part, in teams with other people from ASF's partner organizations. International peace service brings together many different kinds of people who come from various backgrounds and have different political and religious perspectives.

Due to this very diverse atmosphere, we are looking for socially integrated, cooperative people, who are open, friendly and accept different lifestyles and perspectives, people who are willing to listen and learn and in some way, to change the world as well as themselves.

No particular religious faith is required for a commitment with ASF. Volunteers at ASF come from differing religious and cultural backgrounds and have different confessions. However, we do expect our volunteers to respect other people's religion or confession.