Hi KVT’s volunteer, alumni, partner, or a young person interested in volunteering and peace,
Here is something to mark in your calendar: KVT’s bi-annual volunteer weekend is coming again on April 5th at the Peace Station in Pasila, Helsinki.
Join us for a day full of exciting program from getting to know this summer’s projects, workshops and getting to know other volunteers. You will also have a chance to enjoy sauna and hang out together in the evening. We will try and organize accommodation with our Helsinki volunteers to those of you coming from outside of Helsinki.
Registration for the event is free and participants will be provided with food the whole day. Registration and a more detailed program will be published soon!
All KVT’s members are welcome to join the weekend; if you are not yet a member or have not yet paid this year’s membership fee, you can do that at any time before the event.
If you would like to help with practical arrangements of the event (kitchen help, workshop facilitation, evening program..), feel free to contact Anni ().
Do you know a task that needs some helping hands to get done?
A village house in need of painting, an outdoor area in need of tidying up, or a local event without enough organizers or performers?
Become a host for an international voluntary workcamp or share the info to a friend! KVT is looking for camp hosts for 2025!
KVT organizes 5-7 international voluntary workcamps in Finland every year, which support the activities of various non-profit organizations. Volunteers arriving through KVT might for example work on organic fields, help with the renovation of common areas and the restoration of traditional landscapes, as well as with the organization of cultural events and all kinds of other work as needed.
What is a voluntary workcamp?
A camp consists of 6-16 volunteers from Finland and abroad and 1-2 volunteer camp leaders
A camp lasts from 10 days to 3 weeks
Work at the camp is simple enough so that volunteers don’t need any special skills
The camp host has to be a non-profit community, e.g. an NGO, educational establishment, public institution, cooperative or a congregation
Camp host offers volunteers food, accommodation, working instructions and tools
Most camps are organized in the summer when people have holidays, but a camp can be organized in other times of the year too
KVT will recruit volunteers and camp leaders and support the camp organization if needed
Why should I host a voluntary workcamp?
A camp is a great way to get work done, when it is difficult to find suitable time and enough people to get it done alone. With the help of the camp, you will also gain visibility for the activities of your organization, spread your knowledge and inspire new people to work within the theme of the camp.
At their best, camps bring a lively and energetic atmosphere to local communities and create multicultural encounters in smaller places. If your association or community is lacking some helpful hands, don’t hesitate to contact us!
What does the camp cost to the camp host?
Camp hosts pay KVT’s camp coordination fee, which is 220€ in 2025.
In addition on traditional workcamps the camp host is responsible for providing food and accommodation to the volunteers. For a camp that lasts 10 days and has 10 volunteers, the food budget could be around 1500€. Other costs at a camp can come from tools needed for the work, transportation to get to the work site etc.
KVT will take care of the training for camp leaders and provide insurance to all volunteers who come through KVT. Volunteers take care of their own travels as long as public transport is available.
What kind of camps have been organized previously?
Fill out the preliminary questionnaire (in Finnish). If you need help with filling the form, please contact us! You can also fill it in English. We have a camp host guide (in Finnish also), but please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about organizing a voluntary workcamp. You can reach us at for any camp related questions.
We want to thank all KVT members, volunteers, partners and other supporters for the woderful year. This past year we have had many types of activities: visits and events, trainings and six international camps. We have received dozens of lovely volunteers in Finland and we have sent enthusiastic volunteers to camps, long-term projects, trainings and meetings all around the world. Our work for peace, volunteering and cooperation will continue next year too. Now it is time to slow down and prepare for the next year.
KVT office will be closed from Mon 23rd December to Mon 6th January. During this period messages will be answered slower than usual.
The office and board wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We are looking for new members for KVT’s camp coordination group, Koordis, that organizes workcamps in Finland every summer. The group members get in touch with camp hosts in the autumn, recruit and train camp leaders in the spring, visit the Finnish camps in the summer, evaluate the success of the camp season and plan future camps the following autumn.
In Koordis you will have the opportunity to see how voluntary workcamps are organized. You can improve the experience of the international and domestic volunteers of workcamps in Finland, as well as make sure camp leaders and camp hosts get the most out of their experience!
No prior skills are needed to join Koordis. We will train you and help you get started!
This season Koordis will also do marketing for workcamps abroad. If you are interested in volunteering in another country, this is your golden opportunity to learn more!
In Koordis you can:
Take part in planning volunteer workcamps all around Finland in the summer of 2025
Organize events and trainings
Interact with volunteers returning from abroad and create marketing materials for workcamps around the world
Perfect your presentation skills by representing KVT in fairs, school visits…
By participating, you gain:
Communications, coordination and group work skills that promote your professional development!
Participation in volunteer work with a purpose & a chance to make friends with people from diverse backgrounds!
Networks in the NGO sector and different volunteering opportunties in Finland and abroad
The Koordis season kickoff will be the 28th of November at 5 PM in Zoom. Please sign up for the meeting through this link. Do not miss this opportunity to grow your own experience and networks!
For further info contact Exchange Coordinator Gweal Monykuany: , +358451049829 (call or WhatsApp)
Kansainvälinen vapaaehtoistyö ry will have the annual Fall meeting on Tuesday 26th of November at 5pm at Peace Station (Veturitori 3) in Helsinki. The Fall meeting will cover issues according to our rules, such as annual activity plan and budget plan for 2025 and choosing the chair and board members for 2025. Read more about the board member applications. The annual meeting is open to all, but only members of KVT can vote. Please make sure you are a member before the meeting. Invitations will be sent to members directly by email, so if you have any doubts, make sure your contact details are updated too. Any questions regarding the Fall meeting can be sent to the office .
After the Fall meeting we will have a movie night for all interested people at the Peace station. The program starts after the Fall meeting, so if you only join the movie night, come to Peace station by 6:15pm. The movie night will continue with the themes familiar from the October Volunterr Weekend, such as environmental and responsibility issues. We’ll watch together a documentary called Day Zero – A city without water. The film focuses on water shortages and how they will affect cities and communities; it is estimated that one of four cities will face issues with water shortages in 2050. After the film we will discuss about the topic more and think about ways to promote responsible volunteering and traveling.
Some light snacks will be provided with coffee and tea. Please sign up for the movie night through this form so we know how much snacks to prepare.
Are you interested in association activities and gaining a deeper understanding of the management of a small organization? Would you like a front-row seat to influence what happens in KVT? Apply to join the board for 2025!
Kansainvälinen vapaaehtoistyö ry (KVT) has been working for over 75 years to promote peace and understanding between people. At KVT’s volunteer camps, volunteers from different backgrounds work together towards a common goal, helping to challenge prejudices and break down barriers. KVT’s activities are grassroots-level peace work, grounded in cooperation and equality.
KVT’s activities are planned and carried out by a board, known as “Johtis,” consisting of 9-12 volunteers elected by KVT members. In Johtis, you will gain a deeper understanding of KVT’s work and peace activities both locally and internationally. You’ll gain experience in organizational governance and have the opportunity to do meaningful volunteer work with a great team. As a board member, you’ll develop your skills not only in traditional board activities but also by participating in events, trainings, and seminars.
The board meets about once a month, and meetings are held both in person and online, depending on the preferences of the board members. It’s also possible to attend in-person meetings remotely if needed.
You are welcome to join Johtis with any level of organizational experience; there are roles for both beginners and veterans. Board members share tasks based on their interests, and you don’t need to know everything beforehand. The most important things are enthusiasm for KVT, active participation in the board’s work, and sharing KVT’s values.
Each year, KVT elects a chairperson, 7 full board members, and 1-4 deputy members. At the start of the year, 1-2 vice-chairpersons are elected from among the full board members. The chairperson is expected to have at least some familiarity with KVT’s activities and experience in board work. The chairperson’s duties include chairing and preparing board meetings in collaboration with the executive director, representing KVT as an employer, coordinating the annual activity plan and report, and overseeing the organization’s finances with the executive director.
If you’re interested or would like to ask for more information, please send a short introduction about yourself to Chairperson Hanna Rask () by November 12th at the latest. In your introduction, please mention who you are, how familiar you are with KVT, and why you are interested in becoming a board member. The board members will be elected at KVT’s autumn general meeting on November 26th.
KVT invites you to a sauna night open to all at Rauhanasema on Thursday 31 October. The doors open at 17.00 and the sauna will be warm after 18.00. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks are on the house. You can bring your own drinks if you want to enjoy a sauna beer, for example. In order for us to get the right amount of snacks for all, please let us know if you are coming by Wednesday before the sauna evening.
In addition to the sauna, you can hang out with our volunteers and people interested in volunteering. There is a possibility to make origami peace doves and other crafts or you can just relax and enjoy the atmosphere.
As the year is coming to and end KVT office will also take a break, enjoy Christmas time and get ready for the coming year.
KVT office will be closed from 22.12.2023 to 7.1.2024. We will be back at work on 8.1.2024.
Many thanks for all the active volunteers, KVT members, camp leaders, camp hosts and other partners for your cooperation! Happy Holidays, see you next year!
Kansainvälinen vapaaehtoistyö ry will have the annual Fall meeting on Tuesday 28th of November at 5:30pm at Peace Station (Veturitori 3) in Helsinki.
The Fall meeting will cover issues according to our rules, such as annual activity plan and budget plan for 2024 and choosing the chair and board members for 2024. Read more about the board member applications.
The annual meeting is open to all, but only members of KVT can vote. Please make sure you are a member before the meeting. Invitations will be sent to members directly, so if you have any doubts, make sure your contact details are updated too.
We follow with sadness the escalation of violence between Palestine and Israel. Our hearts go out to all families and individuals who have suffered losses. We condemn Hamas’ attacks on Israel and its civilians, just as we condemn Israel’s attacks on Palestinian civilians. Violence against civilians is never acceptable.
We also want to highlight the decades-long roots of the conflict, in which Israel has occupied and controlled Palestinian areas and violated international agreements and Palestinians human rights. The conflict between Israel and Palestine is not a conflict between two equal parties.
We therefore call:
upon the Israeli authorities to reach an immediate ceasefire and urgently allow humanitarian support for Gaza, including restoring water, fuel and electricity.
upon Hamas to stop the indiscriminate attacks towards unarmed civilians.
upon the international community to take the necessary responsibility and put strong pressure on the Israeli government to reach an immediate ceasefire and urgently allow humanitarian support for Gaza.
upon all parties to start a genuine peace process.
for civil society organisations and governments all over the world to speak out strongly against all forms of racism and antisemitism.
As peace organizations, we stand for non-violence and peaceful resolution of conflicts. Peace does not come overnight, but it requires continuous and active work and people dedicated to peace work. However, the first step must be to end the destruction and violence, end the occupation and ensure fair treatment for the Palestinians.
Read the full statement on the website of our umbrella organization Service Civil International (SCI).
This week we also celebrate International Disarmament Week. As the UN Secretary General has stated, “…disarmament and arms control have played a critical role in preventing and ending crises and armed conflict. Heightened tensions and dangers are better resolved through serious political dialogue and negotiation—not by more arms.”
The Peace Union of Finland has put together some tips on how you can help (in Finnish) through peaceful means and support the Palestinians in Gaza.
