Hate crimes, especially on religious grounds, have become increasingly prominent since Modi’s Hindu nationalist government was elected in 2014. [...] Mander has gathered a group of dedicated volunteers who helped to crowdfund the entire trip. They are an eclectic mix – lifelong activists, including a mother and son, along with photographers and seven young priests-in-training from a seminary in Delhi. [...] “We want to create a network of peace communities in every district,” said Suroor Mander, one of the organizers.

Three years into the war in Ukraine, international attention and aid to displaced people has waned. In an area near the war zone, Natasha Bluth reports on volunteer groups trying to fill gaps in support for one of the world’s largest internally displaced populations.Many Ukrainian community organizations, inspired by the Euromaidan protests that called for improved human rights and better ties with Europe, have expanded since the conflict began, including local NGO Ulybka rebenka, or Smile of a Child, which was founded a year earlier to aid disadvantaged children.

This February, Maltese-owned EC English Language Centres sent a team of eight enthusiastic EC staff volunteers hailing from all over the world, including South Korea, the UK, the US, Canada and Malta, to Ban Huoy, Cambodia, for a 10-day trip set up as part of the organisation’s most recent CSR initiative. In early 2016, EC approached the respected education charity, United World Schools (UWS), to improve the prospects of marginalised children in Cambodia.

International volunteering can challenge prevailing models of development, according to a new report by the Australian Red Cross which has called on the Federal Government to grow international volunteer programs with sustainable funding.  The report said international volunteering contributes greatly to a legitimate and sustainable development process, above and beyond public diplomacy.

Chinese Ambassador to Cambodia Pan Guangxue on Friday spoke highly on Chinese language volunteers' contribution in Cambodia, hailing them as ambassadors of Chinese culture and language in Cambodia. Speaking to the third tranche of Chinese volunteers in China's embassy, Pan said he appreciates the volunteers' contribution in spreading Chinese culture and teaching Chinese language, which enhances the people-to-people exchanges between the two peoples.