We’re looking for a camp leader to Lapland

Järjestökoordinaattori on 26.5.2023

Do you want to work for peace, solidarity and intercultural understanding? Would you like to spend a couple of weeks this summer by volunteering for a community project and learning about different ways of life in Finland? If your answer is yes, apply to be a camp leader on KVT’s voluntary work camp!

Being a camp leader is an enriching international voluntary work experience. Kansainvälinen vapaaehtoistyö ry (KVT) organizes international voluntary work camps in different parts of Finland every summer.

Right now we’re looking for camp leader to History and Village culture in Lapland camp on 10.8. – 20.8.
You can see the description, location and dates of the camp here. We already have a one camp leader for this camp so you would join this team.

The camps bring together 6-10 volunteers of different nationalities and backgrounds to live and work for projects that benefit local communities and have an impact on a social, cultural or environmental level.

We will train all the camp leaders. Camp leaders will not receive financial compensation but their travels to the camp and to camp leader training will be reimbursed. All volunteers will be provided with food and accommodation during the camp.

If you would like to become a camp leader, please send us an email at

Accessibility information:
Some of the campsites are accessible, and we recommend asking us directly for more information.

The camp leader trainings are organized at Rauhanasema and/or Zoom. We recommend to participate at least one of the training days on site. Rauhanasema is a partially protected over 100-year-old log house on three floors, so accessibility in our premises is a bit challenging to implement due to protection.

The hall, where some of the trainings are held, can be accessed via a ramp from the Messukeskus side of the building. The slope angle is ten degrees.

One of the toilets next to the hall is larger and its doors can be opened wider. The toilet seat has support rails. There is also a collapsible table in this booth.

Peace station follows the principles of a safer space. Please ask more from us in case of doubt.

One year of war and no end in sight

Toiminnanjohtaja on 1.5.2023

Ukrainan kartta, jonka päällä teksti "No war in ukraine! No war anywhere!"

We strongly condemn the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine. In particular, we express our solidarity with and support for peace movements and peace activists in Ukraine, Russia and internationally, as they resist the war. We join in the statement shared by SCI, our umbrella organization.

One year of war and no end in sight

Tomorrow marks a very distressing anniversary: one year since the full-scale military aggression against Ukraine by Russia.

We want to reiterate our message in support of peace, standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine as well as peace movements and peace activists in all countries involved, especially in Russia, and all over the world.

Once again we call upon the Russian government to immediately stop this aggression and commit to a genuine peace process and a process of accountability.

We call upon the international community and all parties involved, including the Russian and Ukrainian states, to turn to diplomacy as a means to solve conflict and abide by international law.

Finally, we reject the war and militaristic narrative that is now prevalent in the media and institutions, and we ask for protection of conscientious objectors from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

Peace is a choice that all parties in the conflict must commit to now!

Diplomacy is the only real method for conflict resolution!

No to war in Ukraine, no to war anywhere!

As we feared a year ago, this war brought immense suffering to thousands of people: in the conflict territories, civilians were killed, injured or forcibly displaced, people were tortured and made to disappear, peace activists and lawyers suffered attacks, human rights – such as the right to freedom of expression and the right to conscientious objection – were corroded, civilian infrastructure was severely damaged. Globally, the war brought food insecurity for communities who were already suffering poverty and hunger, an energy and economic crisis that harshly strikes the most vulnerable, militarisation and diversion of funds from social investments and services, an intensification of the nuclear threat and a deterioration of mental health. These are only a few examples of the consequences of war. And the one in Ukraine is only one example of war, as we cannot forget that it is but one of many.

This year has shown us that building a culture of peace, working on peace education, implementing peace actions and focusing on advocacy for peace is more urgent and relevant than ever. Peace cannot be taken for granted and it must be fostered every day with our words and actions, that is, working on our inner selves, nurturing positive relationships with others, engaging in society to build communities that respect human rights and support the most vulnerable, and taking care of our natural environment and our impact on the climate.

We invite people within our network and all over the world to stand up against the war in Ukraine.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. – Martin Luther King.

We encourage you to join your local peace protest or activity in the coming days, or to organise one yourself.

Service Civil International is an international peace organisation active since 1920. We are dedicated to promoting a culture of peace by organising international voluntary projects for people of all ages and backgrounds. The organisation consists of 40 branches and more than 90 partner organisations. We oppose all forms of armed conflict and militarisation. Since its beginnings, SCI has developed peaceful dialogue between people of all nations, with the vision of a world without armed conflict, hostility and with positive peace. For many years, we have been supporting peace and reconciliation efforts in Ukraine and Russia.

KVT’s annual Spring meeting on Tue 18th April at Peace Station

Toiminnanjohtaja on 25.2.2023

Kansainvälinen vapaaehtoistyö ry will have the annual Spring meeting on Tuesday 18th of April at 5:30pm at Peace Station (Veturitori 3) in Helsinki.

The Spring meeting will cover issues according to our rules, such as annual report and financial statement of 2022. 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.

KVT’s summer: workcamps still open for applications!

Järjestökoordinaattori on 7.1.2023

picture with a backpack and red rubber boots on a road, blue sky

With the picture above, we wish everyone a wonderful summer! The picture was taken by our camp leader Jonna on a way to the Tuusula camp in June.

Summer is a busy time for KVT but some of our activities are on a break during the summer holidays. However, it is still possible to join work camps this summer so do stay in touch or make an appointment. Here you can find all the available camps: https://workcamps.sci.ngo/icamps/

Summer picnic Wed 24.8. at 5-8pm in Helsinki

Toiminnanjohtaja on 16.8.2022

iloisia ihmisiä, ulkona, istuu nurmikolla

Come start the fall season and KVT’s 75th birthday celebrations with a summer picnic. At the picnic you can meet both KVT board members and other volunteers. You can also bring a friend along to meet us.

Place: Rauhanasema (Veturitori 3), close to Pasila railway station in Helsinki

This picnic will be organized as an international potluck gathering, but we offer coffee, tea and some small sweets. Please bring something with you, or just drop by for a coffee. You can also bring a music instrument, a game or photos your volunteer experiences. Let’s have a fun and relaxed picnic together!

To Spain this summer? Become part of Green Diversity

Järjestökoordinaattori on 7.6.2022

Green Diversity Spain

Caring about climate justice, telling my story and getting active? Are you 18 – 30 years old? Do you want to travel to Spain in July? YES! Then apply to become part of the Green Diversity project. 

‘Green Diversity?!’ is a project that aims to equip you with the necessary tools to be visible and be heard with your claim for global climate justice. With your story, you can inspire other young people to speak up themselves. If you care about climate justice and about telling your side of the story, we invite you to our Storytelling Lab in Logroño, Spain, from 18th to 23rd of July 2022.

At the Storytelling Lab, you will meet young people and learn more about different perspectives on climate justice. We will get creative and practice different ways to share our stories and ideas. You will work on building your own personal story and a team to establish a community to strengthen climate justice. The world needs young people who want to raise up their voice and participate/ get involved in climate justice issues.

The costs related to the activity (travels, meals, accommodation on shared rooms, etc.) will be covered by the project Green Diversity through the Erasmus+ programme. All the activities will be implemented on accessible spaces, using non formal techniques and in a suitable lodging to ensure an appropriate attendance and participation of any person.

Complete this form for registering on the selection of participants.

No war in Ukraine! No war anywhere!

Järjestökoordinaattori on 29.5.2022

Ukrainan kartta, jonka päällä teksti "No war in ukraine! No war anywhere!"

We, the undersigned SCI organisations, strongly condemn the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine. In particular, we express our solidarity with and support for peace movements and peace activists in Ukraine, Russia and internationally, as they resist the war.

We, the undersigned Service Civil International (SCI) organisations, strongly condemn the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by Russia. We express our solidarity with the people of Ukraine. In particular, we express our solidarity with and support for peace movements and peace activists in Ukraine, Russia and internationally, as they resist the war.

We are concerned that this invasion leads to a huge number of victims and deaths, injuries and severe emotional distress among civilians and military in the countries concerned. It can cause significant deterioration of infrastructure and the ecosystem, an economic crisis and mass displacement of people.

We call upon the Russian decision makers to immediately stop the violence and withdraw their troops from Ukraine and bordering territories. We call upon the international community and all parties involved to engage in substantial and sincere diplomatic negotiations in accordance with international agreements and place the humanitarian needs of civilians first. We call upon the countries of the European Union to welcome people fleeing the conflict in Ukraine and guarantee international protection.

We call upon people within our network and all over the world to stand up against the war in Ukraine. We ask you to join or organise demonstrations for a diplomatic resolution and against a further military escalation of the conflict. Call for an immediate ceasefire as well as a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the conflict on social media and with decision-makers in your countries.

A war undermines efforts at global cooperation. It leads to an increase in military spending, while resources are much needed to address pressing global issues, such as the climate crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the technologies available for warfare today, among them huge arsenals of nuclear weapons, de-escalation is the only way forward.

We call upon people within our network and all over the world to stand up against the war in Ukraine. We ask you to join or organise demonstrations for a diplomatic resolution and against a further military escalation of the conflict. Call for an immediate ceasefire as well as a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the conflict on social media and with decision-makers in your countries.

Peace is a choice that all parties in the conflict must commit to now! Diplomacy is the only real method for conflict resolution! No to war in Ukraine!

Service Civil International is an international peace organisation active since 1920. We are dedicated to promoting a culture of peace by organising international voluntary projects for people of all ages and backgrounds. The organisation consists of 40 branches and more than 90 partner organisations. We oppose all forms of armed conflict and militarization. Since its beginnings, SCI has developed peaceful dialogue between people of all nations, with the vision of a world without armed conflict, hostility and with positive peace. For many years, we have been supporting peace and reconciliation efforts in Ukraine and Russia.

Branches and partners that support this statement:

  1. SCI Hellas
  2. SCI Austria
  3. Stowarzyszenie Jeden Świat – SCI Poland
  4. ÚTILAPU Hungary
  5. Volonterski centar Vojvodine
  6. SCI IVS USA
  7. SCI Catalunya
  8. Mati Canada (not SCI)
  9. SCI Germany
  10. SCI Italy
  11. GAIA SCI Kosovo
  12. IVP Australia
  13. KVT Finland
  14. SCI Korea
  15. PVN Albania
  16. SCI Madrid
  17. VSI Ireland
  18. SCI Sri Lanka
  19. Association Volontariat Sans Frontière (VSFr Tunisia)
  20. ID Norway
  21. SCI India
  22. SCI Romania
  23. SCI Malaysia
  24. CVS Bulgaria
  25. IVP Indonesia
  26. SCI France
  27. SCI Switzerland
  28. International Voluntary Service (IVS-GB)
  29. VIA Netherlands
  30. SCI Belgium

Open doors at KVT on Thu June 2nd

Toiminnanjohtaja on 1.3.2022

Come meet us and the world of international volunteering! You can ask us about volunteering options, exchange stories or just pop in to say hi.

How wonderful would it be to meet new and old volunteers now that the world starts to open again! KVT starts having open doors again after a long while. Come to our office on Thursday June 2nd at 4-6 pm. Come as you are: we will offer coffee and tea and good talks.

If you are a new volunteer you can learn about different ways to participate and hear stories from others. If you have participated with KVT before, you can share your memories with us. You can come to the office at any point during the open doors time. Our office is located in the yellow wooden building Peace Station in Pasila, Helsinki. Street address is Veturitori 3. Come to the entrance at the side of the building closest to Pasila station, ring buzzer that says KVT and then come up the stairs to the second floor. Looking forward to seeing you all!

Call for participant: Mobility of volunteering? Eco-friendly! 6.-13.3.2022 in Austria

Järjestökoordinaattori on 10.1.2022

Are you interested in international mobility and it’s effects? It’s a topic we can’t really skip when volunteering around the world, so it’s important for us to also think about the pros and cons of international travel and how to develop the practices around international travel. KVT has one place booked for a seminar in March, which is organized by our partner NGO in Austria.

Would you be interested in participating? Send us a message () if you are interested and/or if you need more info. You find more info about the seminar, the work included and how to apply from the organizer’s webpage. The DL for applications is 16th January.

KVT on holidays 24.12.-2.1.

Järjestökoordinaattori on 22.12.2021

Happy holiday wishes

KVT office is closed for Christmas from 24th December until 2nd January.

Many thanks for all the active volunteers, KVT members, camp leaders, camp hosts and other partners for your cooperation! Again, we have had a year full of challenges, but at KVT we have also succeeded in creating and testing new ideas and building our knowledge in new areas. Let’s continue to volunteer, to try new things and to improve our skills also in 2022!

Happy Holidays, see you next year!