Seeking Participants for Grassroots Peace Building

The Pathways to a Sustainable Future Project (PSFP) is an invitation to learn, grow and serve this summer in South America.

The PSFP is sponsored by the Universal Peace Federation (UPF) and Let’s Lead Green-USA is now accepting applications for its July 6-July 21, 2015 project in the Pantanal region of Paraguay. International participants on this unique program will work and live in an indigenous Chaco village, share cross cultural insights and take part in work in the Leda Settlement, a sustainably developed community inspired by True Father.

Since 2001, international volunteers have been coming to the Pantanal to offer their services in Leda and the surrounding communities. In Leda, while enjoying the natural beauty, participants will gain insights on how the settlement has been developing aquaculture, agriculture and tree plantations as a path to a sustainable future. Time spent in the Chaco Indian Villages provides an experience in the lifestyle of the regions original people while an environmental project in the urban capital of Asuncion will expose participants to challenges common in cities around the world.

Project Plan: July 6 – July 21, 2015

The project will have three stages:

Orientation and Integration

The orientation to UPF’s Pathways to a Sustainable Future Project will take place in Paraguay’s capital city, Asuncion. During these days, the International participants will live, experience, learn and work together while engaging with new people and a different culture.

This orientation period will conclude with a bus journey to a Mennonite Community where participants will gain an understanding of the challenges in creating and running a sustainable community far from a major population center.

Connecting and Serving the Chaco Villages

This stage of the program will have the participants reside in local Chaco Indian villages where members of the Association for Sustainable Development in North and South America have been contributing to for over a decade. The living situation is very simple as there is no electricity or running water. Volunteers will work side by side with local villages and grow to understand more clearly their life situation.

The Leda Experience

This important part of the program is designed to give participants a greater understanding of the vision of True Father’s work in Latin America while offering a time to connect more deeply to the beauty of creation. Participants will have a chance to spend time on the river, ride horses, work and learn about farming and aquaculture work.

One special event will be the community service project related to the theme: Pathways to a Sustainable Future. This service will provide participants an opportunity to share and work side by side with local community members.

The time in Leda will conclude with a time for personal reflection. Participants will then return to Asuncion and have a short time to shop and attend a closing event with friends of UPF.

Qualifications

It is recommended that participants be 18-30 years of age. All volunteers must be in good health and willing to do physical work. Participants need to be willing and able to live humbly at times. The primary language of the project will be English but some Spanish translation will be made available.

Participants should be motivated by a desire to contribute to society and work together as a global community. The program is open to people of all faiths and is alcohol and drug free. Men and women are expected to act respectably with each other and with all those who they come in contact with.

A similar International Youth Service Project in Paraguay occurred in 2014 and was very successful.

To Apply

All potential participants will need to submit an application and two recommendation letters to be considered for participation. Travel to the program orientation in Asuncion, Paraguay is the responsibility of participants. To cover the domestic transportation, housing, food, fees and program expenses a fee of $700 is being asked. This fee does not reflect the full cost of the project, for substantial grants have been given by UPF and Let’s Lead Green USA.

To receive an application or send inquiries, please fill out the form below.