Decide for yourself!

When I was looking into international development opportunities, I came across an ad very much like the following, posted on Taking It Global's Opportunities page (http://www.takingitglobal.org/opps/sfgdir.html?moid=258):

"IICD offers 6-19 month programs to Africa and Latin America. Be a part of another culture while working in community development projects. There is a program fee and training in the USA.

Our programs last six to nineteen months. They offer you a chance to learn and grow through studies, team work, training of practical skills, international travel, work in community development projects and much more. The program will challenge you to work hard, to solve problems, to overcome shortcomings and to contribute to development on many levels.

At IICD we start training new teams of volunteers every three month. The programs focus on different regions of the world, offering opportunities for work in various types of development projects. However, all programs share a common structure with a preparation period, an international period and a follow up period. The preparation and the follow up periods are carried out at the IICD in Michigan or in Massachusetts. You can read about the preparation and the follow up periods on pages 10 and 11 of this brochure.

IICD is a unique program. It is not just about being an international volunteer. Though working abroad is a great experience, our preparation and follow up periods hold many other challenges and opportunities. The preparation period provides you with skills needed for your work abroad as well as for life in general; in the follow up period you play an important role as an educator about the developing world in your own country. We can think of no better investment of your time and your energy than to take on the IICD challenge. We invite you to read on and look forward to having you as a Development Instructor at IICD!!"

Sounds pretty great, doesn't it? About a year ago, it looked like exactly what I was looking for... An opportunity to learn, grow, and help out doing community work abroad, with a supposedly well-intentioned and reputable organization. It just so happened that I mentioned the name of the organisation to a friend who had heard otherwise. He advised I be careful. When I did a bit of investigating, I was quite surprised by how much data has been collected that shows that TVIND (also known as Humana, Humana People to People, Development Aid From People To People, DAPP, Ajuda de Desenvolvimento de Povo para Povo, ADDP, UFF, Alandhjaelp Fra Folk Til Folk, Institute For International Co-Operation And Development, IICD, Planet Aid, College For International Co-Operation And Development, CICD, One World Institute, One World Volunteer Institute, Det Noedvendige Seminar, The Necerssary Teacher Teaching College, DNS, Den Rejsende Folkehoejskole, The Traveling Pholk High School, DRH, Boernehjaelpeprogrammet, NetUp, DRHSS, Hope, Holland House, and associated with the "Planet Aid" clothing deposit boxes [noticeable by their yellow color and globe emblem] seen in urban areas) is , at worst, a cult, or at best, not quite as advertised.

Let's just say I feel pretty lucky to have landed my current position through the IISD (the International Institute for Sustainable Development) rather than going with the IICD - only a letter off, but with a lot less scary stories.

Consider yourself forewarned...

Some sources to check out for yourself:

http://www.tvindalert.com/about/cult.htm

http://www.freedomofmind.com/resourcecenter/groups/t/tvind/

http://www.rickross.com/groups/tvind.html