ARE YOU INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING WITH CIEPAC?
CIEPAC has limited possibilities of hosting volunteers due to space and equipment restrictions in our office. Generally there are only two volunteers at any one time with us. What follows is a guide for possible volunteers who wish to explore the possibilities of an internship with CIEPAC.
We strongly recommend that you first visit our web page, www.ciepac.org, in order to see what topics are of interest to us in terms of research, dissemination and mobilization. In the “Quiénes somos” section of the page there is general information that will help orient you regarding CIEPAC’s philosophy, objectives, etc. We recommend that you download the information pamphlet (in Spanish: ; in English: ) in order to better understand our work.
We are looking for people who can in general be with us a maximum of six months. There is no minimum time, but we believe that it won’t be much benefit to either party if you can’t spend a minimum of three months with us.
We think you would have the ideal profile for a CIEPAC volunteer if you show special interest in a) research; b) the use of the internet to seek information; c) preparing grassroots education materials; d) disseminating information regarding the negative effects of globalization; e) learning something about current-events analysis.
It is useful to have ideas on what you would like to do and achieve during your stay at CIEPAC, or at least have clear some of the topics that interest you, so as to better integrate you into our activities. We will do our best to involve you in something that is in your interest, but it’s useful to have initiative and be proactive.
At CIEPAC we have a calendar full of workshops or talks in rural communities, but we don’t carry out projects that would imply staying in them for long periods. If you are looking for a volunteer experience within a rural community, entailing a stay of various weeks or months, we recommend contacting other organizations in Chiapas that can offer these sorts of immersions. We recommend some further on.
At CIEPAC most of the work that you would do is within the office, but there will be opportunities for you to accompany us to workshops, forums, various sorts of events, as circumstances and possibilities permit during your stay.
If you have had some sort of experience in your country, or abroad, as an activist, particularly in opposition to the “neoliberal project”, this is a plus, but not a requirement.
CIEPAC cannot offer you any type of salary, honorarium or compensation of any type. Before arriving in San Cristóbal you should foresee funding (a scholarship, for example) or be able to receive support from your family or personal savings to cover all your expenses. The largest ones will be housing, food, transportation to/from San Cristóbal. As an approximation of what you will need, you should calculate around US$300-350 per month, in the event you rent a room in a house shared with other people like yourself.
At CIEPAC we can give you a general orientation regarding housing in San Cristóbal, but you will have to search out a room, house, or apartment in keeping with your budget, life style, etc.
If you are a foreigner and the Mexican migration authorities grant you a visa for a period less than you plan to spend with us, you will need to foresee funds in order to leave the country, spend at least 24 hours outside of Mexico, and then return to San Cristóbal, in order to receive a new visa. The migration authorities generally grant longer visa periods if your initial point of entry into the country is NOT in Chiapas (in other words, if you don’t cross into Mexico from Guatemala via land). Almost all foreign volunteers enter and remain in Mexico on tourist visas.
If your native language is not Spanish, you should already have an acceptable level of Spanish for speaking, listening, reading, and, if possible, writing. Your stay in CIEPAC will be more fruitful for everyone if you have an “intermediate” level of Spanish. For example, you should be able to read a newspaper in Spanish with little difficulty.
REQUIREMENTS TO CONSIDER YOUR CANDIDACY AS A VOLUNTEER
To consider your application, send us the following:
1. Your resume (curriculum vitae)
2. A letter in which you state your motives and your interest in volunteering with CIEPAC, what you would bring to our work and what you would like to achieve during your stay with us. You should indicate therein how long you intend to be with us, when you plan to come and how long you plan to stay.
3. The contact details of a family member, or a person close to you, in your place of origin.
4. Two letters of recommendation, preferably from teachers, supervisors in previous jobs, or from people in charge of projects, programs or institutions where you have been previously.
5. A photocopy of some personal identification (preferably a passport if you are a foreigner).
You can remit these documents either personally by coming to our office, by ordinary mail, or in the case of points 1-3 by e-mail, and points 4-5 by fax. Send all documents to the “Attention of the CIEPAC coordinator”.
We don’t have fixed selection dates, but they tend to be in November-December for the first half of the following year, and May-June for the second half of the year.
To explore other volunteer options, contact the NGOs in the following list (all with offices in San Cristóbal, unless otherwise noted). If you are looking for a rural community-based experience lasting weeks or months, we recommend contacting the first two options on the list.
· Fray Bartolomé Human Rights Center. The Center has a program of observers in indigenous communities. Write to: cdhbcasas@laneta.apc.org
· Enlace Civil. Also has a program of observers in indigenous communities. Write to enlacecivil@laneta.apc.org
· International Services for Peace (SIPAZ). Write to sipaz@laneta.apc.org
· EDUPAZ. Has offices in Comitán, Chiapas. Write to edupaz@prodigy.net.mx
· Alianza Cívica. Write to alianchis@laneta.apc.org
· CAPISE. A research center similar to CIEPAC. Write to capise@laneta.apc.org