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Going with the flow? Never asking questions? Please.. I would REALLY like for you to come work for me. Would you do that? I will deduct pay from your paycheck and you will not ask why, correct? I will spend YOUR money and you will not ask on what, correct? I will tell you I am going to pay you 12.00 an hour, but on Friday tell you that I don't have the money to pay you and you will be satisified with that and not ask why, correct? No questions....go with the flow... You ARE an idiot!!!!!!! hahahahahaha

You have written all of these insane things in the "risks" section ......first of all it is completely obvious that there are risks. DUH. Any person with half of a brain knows that before ever setting foot in another country. Injurys happen. Accidents happen. Turmoil and chaos are imminent in a war torn impoverished nation.... which is why Humana volunteers go there in the first place. DUH. You make it seem as if you are having these huge revelations.....injuries??!! no way!!! Volunteers who work for nothing??!!! no way!! ( you are aware of course that volunteer, means exactly that...no pay!!!!) I would hope that volunteers who are really interested and passionate about their work, realize that they are in fact working for free.....you people are ridiculous. We work for free because we are interested in being apart of something greater than ourselves. Greater than the ignorant things you say on your website. We are well informed, intelligent human beings who desire something different in life. We are WILLING to give up our consumer capitalist life styles to help others. I don't mind sleeping in a mud hut and working for free. I can live without a hair dryer and a VCR. I am strong. I am LIBERAL. I am open minded. NOT BRAINWASHED. But I must say keep up the good work, it is the ignorance and blind right sided view of people like you who keep us volunteering!!

I am appalled at this web site. I have been to IICD for a prep weekend. They are not a cult. However in today's society it is not uncommon for people who live and think outside of "the box" to be "punished" by such idiocy as this website. Thier ideas are somewhat "out there" compared to traditional condtioned thinking. I found it refreshing, not scary or "cult" like. Give me a freaking break. I think you people have way too much spare time on your hands. Go fight some real crime. People are homeless, sick and dying, gov'ts are corrupt, and there are wars everywhere...don't you think your time would be better spent taking on one of those issues rather than spreading idle gossip simply because some people on this planet don't want to settle in and be like everyone else.....cookie cutter worker ants...never asking questions....going with the flow.? If that is the life for you so be it, I don't think it is necessary to condemn others for thinking differently.

Thanks for the information about the article Sara. It was great reading!! I agree with you!

Re."blasphemy": WHAT lies?

Hello

My name is Alex De Vile and I spent 6 months in Ulfborg in 1997before going to Mozambique.

My Group was very suspicious of the Teachers Group and in Particular Our Head Master Anne Lausen for many reasons. If a written testimonial woud help, I would be happy to do it.

I think Tvind started with the best intentions but that they were perverted by Amdi and he took advantage of a lot of people.

I am a great admirer of what you are doing and I wish you all the very best

Alex

alexdevile@hotmail.com

YOU blasphemed Jochens name, and you continue doing it with all your lies and manipulations and you know it. As Fred I say shame on you for god sake show some human respect.

Dear Fred,

Who has blasphemed Jochen's name? -Those or that person(s)(In fact: Amdi Petersen did) who sent him into an impossible and dangerous job in Tvind's moneymaking business with underpaid workers, or us who have known Jochen as a good friend for many, many years and who wish he would have been allowed to pursuit his track in Denmark and England of helping other people, we who miss him today, and we who simply feel left behind and try and express that feeling? And will it be blaspheming Jochen's name to try and look a little behind the reasons why he was murdered; - perhaps others could be prevented from getting murdered as well? What about the Tvind money makers, the TG members, more or less in good faith selling second hand clothings to and dealing with criminals in Eastern European countries? Do you know how many of them have been robbed, assaulted, attacked? (A big number, I can tell you!) And for what purpose? Helping others, or accumulating finances, assuring Amdi expands his power? Tvind played Jochen's favourite music, by Bach,at the ceremony that was established in Brazil. In this way he was thanked, and his relatives perhaps calmed. Never was Jochen thanked by Tvind persons in living life for the tremendous work he did, at Roskilde or in England. He simply was treated as kind of a scapegoat, by the most high ranking TG members. You may know that, "Fred"??Shame on you people. We miss you, Jochen.

Dear Fred,

Who has blasphemed Jochen's name? -Those or that person(s)(In fact: Amdi Petersen did) who sent him into an impossible and dangerous job in Tvind's moneymaking business with underpaid workers, or us who have known Jochen as a good friend for many, many years and who wish he would have been allowed to pursuit his track in Denmark and England of helping other people, we who miss him today, and we who simply feel left behind and try and express that feeling? And will it be blaspheming Jochen's name to try and look a little behind the reasons why he was murdered; - perhaps others could be prevented from getting murdered as well? What about the Tvind money makers, the TG members, more or less in good faith selling second hand clothings to and dealing with criminals in Eastern European countries? Do you know how many of them have been robbed, assaulted, attacked? (A big number, I can tell you!) And for what purpose? Helping others, or assuring Amdi expands his power? Tvind played Jochen's favourite music, by Bach,at the ceremony. In this way he was thanked, and his relatives perhaps calmed. Never was Jochen thanked by Tvind persons in living life for the tremendous work he did, at Roskilde or in England. He simply was treated as kind of a scapegoat, by the most high ranking TG members. You may know that, "Fred"??Shame on you people. We miss you, Jochen.

I THINK YOU PEOPLE SHOULD LOOK AROUND IN THE SHITTY WORLD THAT WE ARE LIVING IN,WITH THE U.S ATTACKING INOCCENT PEOPLE,ISRAELI'S MURDERING INNOCENT PALASTINIANS,AND TRY TO DIRECT YOUR ENERGY ON THESE ISSUES .NOT PISSING ABOUT ,MOANING AND COMPLANING ABOUT SOMETHING YOU OBVIOUSLY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.AS FOR THE DANISH AUTHORITY AND THE POLICE CHIEF OF HOLSTEBRO,WHO THINKS HE IS SOME KIND OF ROBOCOP.TRY DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF HASH AND GOD KNOWS WHAT OTHER DRUGS ARE BEING SOLD ON THE STREETS OF HOLSTEBRO,BEFORE YOU START LOOKING FOR SCAPE GOATS AND EXCUSSES TO FURTHER YOUR CAREER .TOSSER.!!!!!!

Shame on you people who dare to blaspheme Jochen's name in this hateful forum. For God's sake show some common decency and a little bit of human respect. Fred

GOOD NEWS!!!!! There has been a FIVE page article written by Farah Stockman of the Boston Globe about the corruption of IICD, Humana People to People, Tvind, and Planet Aid. Check it out, it is in the April 7th, 2002 issue, in the National/Foreign section page A1. If you would like me to email you the article just post up you email address and I will send you a copy of it. Please keep publicizing what goes on. The more people in North America know about this organization the less number of volunteers this organization will exploit. We MUST prevent the small school from running in IICD-MI... I was living there for 4 months and IT IS UNSANITARY, and PSYCHOLOGICALLY unhealthy for children ESPECIALLY those who are ALREADY disturbed!!!! Sara

A further thought about whether complaints on file with the Better Business Bureau could prevent the State of Michigan (or other States) from placing children at IICD: the avenues child welfare agencies would take to determine whether IICD was an appropriate or legitimate placement for their kids would most likely NOT include inquiries to the BBB. It would include (require) a (more or less) thorough application process on IICD's part, in which they would presumably have to show that they were capable of caring for teenagers, and providing a safe living environment for them, and capable of following State guidelines for the operation of a foster care facility. It would also include a (more or less) rigorous screening process on the part of the State welfare agencies. If certain specific factors are met, the foster care facility is granted a license to operate. I'm certain that the agency doing the screening would require references of the license applicants, but I am fairly certain the screeners would not think to check with the BBB for references... So think of complaints to the BBB as an issue separate from whether those complaints would stop IICD from opening up a foster care facility... those complaints would serve more to protect and inform the pubic, consumers and potential volunteers...(they would presumably still be using volunteers in a foster care setting, remember...as they have in the UK and Denmark, and as they did in Virginia) Marianna

I attempted to file some kind of a "notice" with the BBB earlier this year, but the format for filing a complaint is really set up for persons with direct knowledge & experience of the programs one would be complaining about, or persons who had lost money to them. I have been suggesting that former DI's file a complaint with the BBB. The BBB serves the function of keeping files of complaints about an organization or business... they will report the complaint back to the organization being complained about, and they have complaints on file for interested parties to see. ... So the purpose in contacting the BBB would be to share your information with them so they could inform any potential volunteers who thought to inquire about IICD's legitimacy with the Better Business Bureau. (There have been some volunteers who made attempts to do this -- one I spoke with found nothing on file with the BBB they contacted, unfortunately). I'm not certain how much "clout" the BBB might have in preventing the TG from morphing into a foster care facility... The BBB is very adamant that they do not close businesses, they only maintain a file of complaints...

Marianna

Jotoba-Brazil.

Dice que Jochen Schaffer de la Jotoba hacienda est asasinado par trabajadores de la hacienda por falta de pago. La verdad??

Rumours say that Jochen Schaffer was murdered by workers at the Tvind farm Jotoba because of missing payment of wages. True??

PP

Maureen, I'm very sorry to hear that you've had trouble getting the refund you are owed. I am now going to have to indulge in hearsay in order to try to say something helpful. I have heard from a person who was at IICD Dowagiac until recently that Humana is trying to open a facility for minors there, and I have heard that complaints by IICD 'students' with grievances to the Better Business Bureau might help to prevent this attempt from succeeding. Whether or not you feel, as I do, that it would be highly undesirable for a facility for minors to open in Dowagiac, this hearsay suggests that the threat of a complaint to the BBB might produce results. Can anyone confirm the rumour about minors, or corroborate the success of BBB threats? Good luck.

Ex members of the Tvind TG have,of course, not been informed by those who know about what happened to Jochen. I guess we all feel very much betrayed - once again -by the Tvind system. We who left the Teachers' Group, are not considered proper human beings. The Tvind system does not give a shit about all the time we have spent with Jochen, and they do not give a shit about what Jochen's relatives in Germany may feel. Actually, some of us know Jochen and his relatives rather well - perhaps even better than any present Tvind people do. Perhaps it could have helped as well his relatives as us if we had been given the opportunity of participating in the ceremony that took place today 8.4.2002 in Germany? To us, Jochen is (was) still a friend, although he remained being a TG member all the way into his tragic death. Hiding accidents, even deaths, from the public is also a typical thing. Guess some of Jochen's present "comrades" have been present at the ceremony. Did they tell Jochen's brother, sister, and mother the true story about what took place in Brazil?

Tvind TG member Jochen Schaffer has been killed. According to the Tvind version, he was killed when he was transporting wages from the bank to workers at the farm in Brazil. According to the same version, he was accompanied by an armed guard.

Today his ashes were buried in his home town in Germany.

Rumours say that the Tvind version is not correct. Does anybody know the true version of this terrible accident?

I was part of the Guatemala team at IICD MI, I left dec 16 2001, I saw the writing on the wall, that IICD did not care or concern themselves with the volunteers. When I left Line promised me she would forward my refund, as of todays date April 8 2002, I am still waiting, I have had numerous phone calls with Line and many promises, but still nothing. Maureen

Kubi,

If you feel that you were mistreated at DIE, I suggest that you tell your story, either to TvindAlert or directly to the Danish police. The authorities in Denmark do not look too kindly on any forms of child abuse.

All the best to you and good luck!

Peter

I AM CURIOUS TOO LARS. ANYONE FROM IICD-MASS CARE TO COMMENT ON THAT?

*This is taken directly from the IICD-MI website when talking about the cost to join it's program* [quote] We have been able to bring down the fees by fundraising for facilities, supplies and other expenses. This amount may seem small when one considers it covers the entire training period, room and board, your airfare to Africa, India or Central America. It also covers the vaccinations you need before you go and the international insurance. IICD does not receive any financial support from governments, political or religious parties. We rely solely on the tuition payment of the participants and extensive fundraising. [unquote]

Now here is my problem with this- This "tuition" covers the cost of room and board (Doesn't IICD receive money from HPP each month for each volunteer that is there?),the airfare to each country (doesn't IICD receive money from HPP which covers HALF of each volunteers airfare cost?), and each volunteers insurance (wasn't it mentioned that there are volunteers that currently have NO insurance on them?) Now it's true, they don't receive any financial support from governments, political or religious parties, but they sure do from HPP. So why is the tuition so high? And why isn't the tuition used for what it is told it is being used for? Has anybody actually added up what it costs for airfare,insurance and vaccinations? Then subtract what is given to IICD from HPP? And let's talk about the training - can anybody testify that they received REAL training from any of the Tvind schools? And what did that training consist of? The TG should be up front with the volunteers by telling them EXACTLY what their tuition is being used for. Put that on their websites.

As an old "student" of DIE (den internationella efterskole) am I ever so happy at the moment...Good things do happen in this world. Shame that Amdi and the other members of the teachers group can't be prosecuted on basis of miss-treating students, and so forth - but the world is a capitalistic one for sure, when only money counts. So, we will have to do with them being on trial for spending (!) the tax money on themselves....

Anyway, I feel good about this!

Kubi

Does anyone here have any information on the how the TG schools in the US present the cost of their programs to volunteers? I'm look for figures like...It costs 10,000 per month to run this school and 30% go to salaries, 35 goes to mortage, 10 percent to utilities....etc. I'm particularly interested in how IICD-MA presents the cost structure of the Williamstown facility.

You can email me at baerman2001@hotmail.com

Lars

You know, I would personally be far more concerned if IICD DID have the money to give back to the Guatemala team. I mean, of course they don't still have that money. They charge tuition because they have to pay stuff to run the school, remember? And when you're not getting nearly enough students, every tuition is an expense paid. Wouldn't it be weird if IICD just had thousands of dollars hanging around in the bank? Wouldn't you expect any grassroots non-profit to be broke at any given point in time? Otherwise, they'd sort of be a Profit, wouldn't they, if they didn't need to use the money they were taking in? This is not, I might add, a defense of anybody. It's just a comment, a passing thought, a suggestion that perhaps we would have condemned IICD no matter how they chose to pay back the Guatemala team. Fundraised money goes to general school expenses, just like the tuition. Now, refunding an entire team that quit...that's not such an "ordinary school expense." I'm sure I'd be hard-pressed myself to figure out where that money should come from. I'd say from HPP, personally, although I'm glad they decided to cut back on their projects. HPP has always proclaimed "Expand, expand, expand!!!" without any thought to quality. If there's no money for the project (okay, I know, why isn't there money??? I'm asking that, too, BUT...) then the project is going to suck, and the little money that's there should be dedicated to running a smaller, but solid, project, right? And the perk of the cutbacks is that IICDers may be able to work with local NGOs in Central America for a while instead of working with HPP!!!! Because Sara's right, the potential at IICD is amazing; that's what makes it all so sad. And Sara, I hope you don't lose that ambivalence, even though I'm sure it drives you crazy. Don't let the bads (which caused you, quite rightly, to quit) taint the goods, because we can take those beautiful potentialities, that are so twisted and destroyed by HPP and IICD, and let them grow in a better way.

Sabina Pucer I don't know what to say. First of all she may be staying there bc she feels like she already made a commitment and wants to stick it out, or that she invested too much money into this. It is easier to ignore the facts while you are there, because you have stability and you don't have to think. All you can do is give her tips on how to look out for herself, ie make sure she has personal money to get out of situations she realizes that she doesn't want to be in, and remain in good contact with her. If she ever decides to leave she will need to know that she has great amounts of support from back home. It is easier to be on the outside looking in and asking "why doesn't she just LEAVE?" but trust me as someone who just left, it is extremely hard, everything is constantly rationalized to you, and even now I have doubts that I made the right decision to leave. If it weren't for my family's amazing support and love I don't think I would have ever left. Sara

Prehaps the fund raising efforts of the Guatemala team in the US have been used to pay for Amdi's defense lawyer? Afterall Shaprio must be more expensive to hire than most defense lawyers and would Amdi want his own money (raised by you and i over the years) to be spent on such a thing.

Hi, I have a problem. My friend is working in Denmark as a teacher. She went there without knowing the real situation. But when I send her this web site was to late. She don`t want to came back. She is going to stay there for 10 mounths. What can I do? I care for here and I don`t want her to get into troubles. Can you help me/her?

Thanck you in advance, Sincerely Sabina Pucer

And why on earth should the team help to pay back a debt for IICD? What is that all about? It is NOT the team's responsibility to help IICD recover from mistakes that were made either by the TG,HPP,or IICD. Come on! And you are correct, it wasn't your hard earned fundraised money that paid back the Guatemala team. (it was Eva..another TG member - go figure! I'm very curious as to where she suddenly came up with ALL that money also.) So, where is all your fundraised money? Do you even know?

Oh, my, how generous!!! Eva paid IICD back for the Guatamala trip? Hmmmmm...but.... is not Eva a TG member? Where did a TG member magically get the money to reimburse IICD ... out of her personal life savings? But wait... that's not how it works with the TG, is it... Eva, how DID you make that mad money materialize???

Question: Why is IICD in debt in the first place? (Think, people, think!!!) Answer: Ahhhaaahh!!!... It's a shell game!!!!!

This is an email I received from a girl who is still at IICD-MI. My apologise for giving information that ran through the grapevine. In order to avoid this from happening again, I don't think I will be posting any more information. I will leave it up to the people directly involved to do so. My statement that I made of my opinion of what happened is a review of my first hand experience so I will not be retracting anything on that. Just the previous statement about the changes made at IICD-MI.Here is the email: I got your e-mail updating people on what you have heard about IICD. I just wanted to say that some of your info is false. The only staff "change" happening is that Line is going to IICD-MA for three weeks out of the month for a few months to take part in a promotions action there to try to get more people to join IICD-MI. Josephine, the country director from Guatemala, is here now to work as a director while Line is away.

As far as compensating for the money that was paid to the Guatemala team, we did not pay out of our fundraising goal, and we definately didn't start from scratch. Line and Josephine are going on a fundraising action to Milwaukee [to do site finding] to get IICD out of debt, and they asked us if we wanted to join. We are going to Wisconsin with them, but we will be fundraising independantly as a team. If when the week is over, we feel that we made a substantial amount [considering this will be an extra week of fundraising that is not in the plans] we will then decide as a team if we want to donate part of our fundraised earnings to help pay back Eva [she was the one who loaned IICD the money to pay the Guatemala team back].

I agree with you 100% Sara, except for one thing. I heard there was NO money to give back to that Guatemala team, so where did that money magically appear from? How DID they get reimbursed? It didn't come from your fundraising efforts. Something to think about. And the Zambia team is fundraising on behalf of IICD so they don't go down? How crazy is that??? What line are they going to use when they approach people?

First of all christian k thorhuage if want to trash something.. please try to learn to SPELL... ie socks.. I think you mean SUCKS. I have an update from people I am still in contact with at IICD-MI. Line, the director of IICD-MI got transferred and a women name Josephine (I may have spelt her name wrong), the person in charge of the Guatemala project that had to reduce to only 3 lines of Child Aid because of disorganization and miscommunication, is now the new Director of IICD-MI. Prabha (the Zamdia team leader) got her visa to stay in the US rejected and is now going back to India. Now for the icing on the cake: The money that was given back to the Guatemala team (the tuition money totalling to approx 10,000US in total) was taken from the money that my team members and I had fundraised in the Chicago area 2 weeks ago, and now the Zamdia (Zambia + India) team members left over must now fundraise from scratch and start their goal all over again. Now my question is, why on earth is the fundraising money being used to pay what was HPP's and TG's mistake??? Why can't they pay for the reimbursement?? This is all information given to me with those in contact with those who are still in the school. The explanation for giving all the fundraising money and starting for scratch is that they (the team) decided to do it in order to prevent IICD-MI going down. I don't remember it being IICD-MI's fault that the Guatemala projects were so poorly run or that HPP has such a communication problem, so why does IICD-MI and ESPECIALLY it's team members have to pay for HPP's mistakes??? And I'm sure if Amdi Peterson can dip into the TG account and steal millions of dollars I'm sure that the TG can affort 10,000 to give to IICD-MI. Please tell me your opinion on this. Sara

First of all christian k thorhuage if want to trash something.. please try to learn to SPELL... ie socks.. I think you mean SUCKS. I have an update from people I am still in contact with at IICD-MI. Line, the director of IICD-MI got transferred and a women name Josephine (I may have spelt her name wrong), the person in charge of the Guatemala project that had to reduce to only 3 lines of Child Aid because of disorganization and miscommunication, is now the new Director of IICD-MI. Prabha (the Zamdia team leader) got her visa to stay in the US rejected and is now going back to India. Now for the icing on the cake: The money that was given back to the Guatemala team (the tuition money totalling to approx 10,000US in total) was taken from the money that my team members and I had fundraised in the Chicago area 2 weeks ago, and now the Zamdia (Zambia + India) team members left over must now fundraise from scratch and start their goal all over again. Now my question is, why on earth is the fundraising money being used to pay what was HPP's and TG's mistake??? Why can't they pay for the reimbursement?? This is all information given to me with those in contact with those who are still in the school. The explanation for giving all the fundraising money and starting for scratch is that they (the team) decided to do it in order to prevent IICD-MI going down. I don't remember it being IICD-MI's fault that the Guatemala projects were so poorly run or that HPP has such a communication problem, so why does IICD-MI and ESPECIALLY it's team members have to pay for HPP's mistakes??? And I'm sure if Amdi Peterson can dip into the TG account and steal millions of dollars I'm sure that the TG can affort 10,000 to give to IICD-MI. Please tell me your opinion on this. Sara

your page socks from christian k thorhuage

Sara - Don't ever say you're a failure!! Obviously you had given this a lot of thought before you made your final decision. You gave 110% and they (IICD,HPP,ect) gave nothing. Good for the Guatemala team. They deserved it! You'll be ok Sara. You are a strong person with a strong mind!

Thanks, Sara!!! You go, girl!!!

YOU ARE DEFINITELY NOT A FAILURE! You're just somebody who got caught up in a very confusing and intricate con game. It's happened to many, many people ...Instead of letting yourself think you are bad or wrong, try to see this is a lesson in values clarification, and acting for yourself on what YOU see and believe to be good, that you can carry with you the rest of your life!!!

The TG has often benefitted from pitting one group's "goodness" (defined in TG terms) against another's "failings" and "weakness" (again, defined by TG standards)... When you're immersed in that culture it IS difficult to tell what's good and what's not, who is "strong" or "ethical" and who is not...When your everyday life and everyday reality have been stripped away in favor of TG values, it's difficult to see that the very premise of the culture is what is questionable. Instead, you're always scrambling to do right by the TG...

You can still do service in Africa (genuine service that will genuinely benefit the people there). Why don't you talk to Zahara Heckscher and get some suggestions from her about how to proceed from here... peacepeace@compuserve.com. She's a former volunteer who went to Africa with IICD, she's got lots of valuable insights...and can direct you to alternative routes to service.

Marianna

Hello, my name is Sara and I was a student who left IICD-MI when I was planning to go to Zambia in July. It was one of the hardest decisions I ever had to make and I can't honestly tell you right now that I am fully happy to be back home away from IICD-MI. I have always been aware of TG and A-S Properties and where exactly our fundraising money went too, but I was also having the mind set that I would be going to Africa to do good work. Every NGO/NPO will be taking the short cuts to save money, when you aren't making any, the amount you have you must try to make the BEST possible use of it, without money you can't DO anything especially in a 3rd world country which wouldn't have the money to support the organization. Now the question would be: If I knew it was corrupt in money scandals then why did I stay all this time expecially when half of your team mates had left earlier on? Because I believed in HPP, I thought -- Yes, they are corrupt but I believed in the incredible potential this organization had to do good in this world. The volunteers who join--each individual is amazing and has soo many strengths and skills to offer this organization, the belief that you don't need a degree or personal money in order to help out those in need was a fantastic idea. HPP believes that PEOPLE can help PEOPLE. What a concept! But when I came back from Denmark after seeing the EXPENSIVE property out there that had in one of the schools absolutely no Teachers or DI's (Bustrop) I was beginning to wonder what the true purpose of this organization was? Was it a realstate company or was it an organization that was looking to train volunteers and watch out for its volunteers to do good in this world?? Well the training factor was out of the question. In my school we had nobody who had experience to teach tonga and we were being taught by our own fellow volunteer who was learning straight out of the FEW books about tonga in the school, and the DmM which is bragged about being a HUGE database of information which we can learn from, was a HUGE waste of time, EVERYBODY (including the overly enthusiastic members of my team--who are still there) had stopped doing the DmM system after the second week of training. I had spent my whole time in the past 3 months preparing for fundraising, going fundraising, going to denmark and norway (which I had done without knowing that our school was having HUGE FINANCIAL problems to the point many of the staff weren't getting paid and phone lines were going to be cut). Before I start with what happened at IICD-MI when I arrived back from Denmark, I would like to point out that my Zamdia team had already lost 3 people (including my roommate) because they had read the Tvind Alert site and they couldn't ignore their morals and ethics to stay in this program. It was one of the hardest weeks for me to go through because then I had to question my own morals and ethics... why am I here?? Does this make me a bad person for staying and ignoring all the facts??? Is the fact that I will be going to ZAMBIA to do GOOD--is that enough to right over all the corruption of this organization??? Well I had decided that it was. And to be completely honest I had decided that this organization was NOT for everyone.. and the only reason these girls had left was because this organization was NOT for them, and perhaps volunteering wasn't for them at all. I had rationalized it to the point that these girls were weak volunteers and that they weren't here to volunteer at all or that they didn't want it enough. As it turns out I was wrong and that they were just more intelligent and had stronger morals and ethics then I did. So now I have come back from Denmark and what do I find out??? That my fellow volunteers on the Guatemala team found out that they didn't have a project to go to the DAY they came back from their FINAL fundraising trip. To be honest-- I wanted to avoid the school, I didn't want to deal with this again, but my teammates made me come back to the school and I ended up talking with the guatemala team members. I think to be honest they should come onto this website and tell their story. I won't tell it for them. I am here just to share what I personally went through. So I listened to their story and I was shocked and appalled. First to the fact that Line--the director of the school (whom we had been in contact with the whole time in Denmark) didn't tell us what was going on.. so we had NO clue until Elton picked us up from Chicago airport on Sunday and told us what had been happening since last Wednesday. From the moment I came back there were meetings after meetings. The meetings had two purposes in my opinion: 1) to deal with the Guatemala team 2) Damage control for the Zamdia team that still has to fundraise 7-8 more weeks for the school As the week progressed my feelings and confidence in this organization dimished. I couldn't see how this organization wanted to help others when it has been proven time after time (either speculation or heresay) that this organization exploited the 3rd world people and even its own volunteers. But NOW it wasn't heresay or speculation.. it was ACTUALLY happening before my very eyes... my friends and fellow volunteers had been hurt. Eva (the VP of the board of Directors) and Uoli (I may have spelled the name wrong--I apologize--the Director of the IICD-MA school) even admitted that they had made a mistake in the dealings with the guatemala team, that how they found out and how they were initially dealt was wrong and a mistake and that the communication between projects and training schools needed to be fixed, they also admitted that the training need some changes. But what I didn't understand was that this organization has been sending DI's to projects for 22 years and NOW they are making changes to the lack of proper training and lack of communication (so when a project completely crashes and burns that the training schools would at least have some idea that the project was in trouble BEFORE it COMPLETELY collapses to only 3 lines of child aid out of the 9 lines they were running). I began to again question.. how important is it to the organization to want to help people in need.. to want to train its volunteers so that they are capable in doing that or supporting it's volunteers??? Even through out the week I truely wanted to believe that this organization wanted to do good, but I couldn't see that when their own volunteers were devastated from the way the organization was handling them. It was then I made the decision to quit the organization. My train of thought was: If I and HPP can't possibly stand up and want to help my fellow volunteers in a first world country where we have all the resources and support in the world, where there are laws to protect these peoples rights then HOW can I POSSIBLY think that I and HPP would want too or could help people in third world countries where there aren't the numerous resources, where there aren't laws to protect these people's basic human rights etc??? How can I possibly believe that this organization wants to do right in the world when I couln't even see them wanting to do right to the girls on the Guatemala team. Eventually after many parents invovled later, the Board of Directors decided to do right and give back these girls their full tuition back (minus the registration fee) and they got to keep their plane tickets (which had been already booked before when they thought they were going to running projects). So then after that decision was made I came running back to the organization. I wanted to stay. To me that decision was a domino's affect.. if the first one got knocked down (the Guatemala team was finally dealt the hand they deserved) then other possible changes could be made in this organization. I believed that I could be a positive part to make this organization or at least my school (IICD-MI) to be more of what it was suppose to be--a volunteer organization willing to train and support its DI's and send them to good working projects. Unfortunately my parents and sister came up to visit me. While I had been in Denmark my sister had been doing her own research of HPP and IICD-MI and TG and she did NOT LIKE what she found out and she wanted me out of there. But I ignored that and kept staying. But now my parents became involved extremely worried about my safety and sanity that I eventually became convinced that if I were to stay it would be for ABSOLUTE selfish reasons.. that I would be going to Chipata and working on the Hope project... regardless of the constant corruption that surrounds this organization. Coincidently the day I came back home and left IICD-MI I recieved and email from one of the girls of the Guatemala team who was in contact with one of the girls who was on the Zambia team before me. Anyways she had sent me an email written by the girl in Chipata explaining why she had left Chipata. I don't want this to be heresay or speculation at ALL so I am now going to request that that girl go and post her own comments about the Hope project in Chipata (which Line and Uoli had last week said were VERY WELL ESTABLISHED and would never break down like the Guatemala projects), all I am going to say is that during this whole ordeal they knew why I wanted to stay, I wanted to go to Chipata and work on the Hope project and NOBODY there told me or even indicated that the girl that was working there had already left and NOT stayed out her 6 months there. They (Line and my teacher Prabha) had been willing so much to show us letters from the same girl near the beginning of her stay about how happy she was but did not want to bother sharing any other facts like the fact that she had left the project. Again I really hope she will come and post her opinion about what she saw with her own eyes because I think this is really important for people to see that the school you're training at does not give you all of the facts. They pretty much love the "ignorance is bliss" theory.. and I was living in bliss. I am no longer living in bliss. I can not say right now that I am fully convinced I made the right decision, because in some way I still feel like I am failure as a volunteer that I obviously didn't want to go work on those projects and help people because I couldn't overcome the boundaries... but how high do those walls have to be before I realize I shouldn't even WANT to climb over??? Why do I write this?? Because I wanted to share my experience... I would love it if this organization would change and reach the full potential I think this organization has to do good in this world. I want potential volunteers to understand that you must be CRITICAL of everything that goes on, and realize even though YOU may think you're doing good.. that YOUR actions may be part of and helping something that is NOT!!!!! If you have any questions please address them to Sara and post it up and I will try respond. I think I will post up my new email address in a couple of days. I apologize for the lengthyness of this email and to be honest I had to leave a LOT out because I didn't want it to drag and drag. Thankyou for reading my opinion. Sara

"The argument given to discredit the site is that it is biased and subjective and was started by a journalist who has never even seen the projects."

I am going to disclose something that may be of interest: yes, I have visited a number of the projects. Unofficially and incognito - in Zimbabwe, about three years ago. What I saw and heard from Africans there most certainly confirmed much that is written (by others) on this site. I have never published what I found - Amdi Petersen was not big news then - but one day I will. With pictures. Watch this space. Michael. (Webmaster)

Let's not treat Lily's question harshly. Some people do see this website before volunteering, and when they ask Tvind group members about it, the argument given to discredit the site is that it is biased and subjective and was started by a journalist who has never even seen the projects. So I'd like to address that argument seriously, point by point, for the benefit of people in Lily's position who may or may not have had a lot of practice in assessing the value of sources. 1) Bias and subjectivity. Remember that the other material you are examining as you try to make your choice is also subjective. The reading materials about the program in which you want to volunteer are an ADVERTISEMENT for that program, and you should read them skeptically, like other advertisements. Look, too, at the websites for these programs (and notice that a lot of them are at least two or three years old -- why?). Along with this website, you can do a search using a good web search engine such as Google, and you will find many other sites on the web which voice reservations and warnings about Tvind. Consider, too, the variety of materials on this web site and elsewhere on the web: different kinds of contributions should be weighed in different ways. You will find articles from highly respected newspapers and magazines in several countries: these can't be dismissed as 'just journalism'. They are backed by good, thorough research -- and you should be asking yourself, why have none of these publications ever been the subject of a libel suit if none of them are true? You will find reports of past court cases, and of the closings of Tvind schools and programs. These are the results of judicial actions tried in courts in several countries: courts strive much harder to be objective than do Tvind advertisements. You will find the court cases currently on trial: evidence submitted to trial is not gathered lightly or frivolously, nor out of simple malice. You will find the personal experiences of people like yourself, who joined Tvind programs out of idealism and may have rationalized the corruption they found at least to begin with. It is true that many of them are very upset and angry. But as someone just said, this too should tell you something. They are not 'objective', but neither will you be if you, too, are mistreated. Last, you will find links to the Tvind group's own websites. These allow you to examine what the group itself has to say and compare it with the other evidence available. 2) started by a journalist who has never seen the projects. This is now a collaborative site: take a look at the list of people involved and their credentials. Each of the collaborators has experience and expertise of one kind or another to contribute. At least one is an expert on international aid who has made extensive visits to the projects. Lily, don't let them fool you. Weigh all the evidence carefully, and consider how many other, much less questionable opportunities for volunteer work are open to you.

Lily? If you don't mind corruption, please, feel free to join a Tvind school. When you start wondering why all that money you fundraised so hard for is gone, don't ask questions. You have seen the warnings and you wouldn't get a straight answer anyway. You "suspect peoples motives" here because all you are reading is hate and anger? Maybe that should tell you something. Open your eyes!

The story I got, from several sources, was that a number of people left IICD - Michigan last weekend, because their Guatamala trip, which they had paid upfront for, had been working toward, and had understood they were fundraising for, was cancelled for lack of funds. At least one person who was heading to Zambia quit also, after hearing of the living conditions of the volunteers there from a volunteer currently IN Zambia, who was faxing them. The most recent project in Guatamala was dispensed with midway -- the TG leader of the trip quit the TG in December...there were no funds for the volunteers there, either, according to the people I talked with, yet the TG staff was all able to fly to Denmark last month for a big pep rally, and enjoy the fact that the TG had purchased a brand new HOT AIR BALLOON! This, by the way was at the same time that the volunteers at IICD- MI had been left with no food to speak of... The volunteers at IICD - MI had been emailing the IICD - MA volunteers sharing experiences... until the TG staff returned and the email functions on the computers were shut down. The fax machine was also placed "off-limits," after an email describing conditions at the Zambia project was placed on the public bulletin board.

There's lots more, but that's the gist. Would anybody who was there like to step in and elaborate further?

Thanks... Marianna

Lily, this site contains almost every single European newspaper article written about Tvind for the past +5 years. To me that is pretty objective.

Observer, I have not heard any news from IICD MI. It be great to see it. Please post it here or you can contact me at baerman2001@hotmail.com

Lars

Lily, Unfortunately there is rarely anything that can be called an objective opinion in life. There is a lot of anger on this site but it did not form out of nothing but is largely based on people's experience with Tvind schools. People feel burned and react with anger (not always rationally) but the fact of life is that this is part of Tvind experience....

Two suggestions for reading on this website that are largely a recounting of findings and experiences are as follows.

(1) http://www.tvindalert.org.uk/index/Exhibit_C.pdf which outlines some of the Danish government's case on the misuse of funds by the TG.

(2) http://www.tvindalert.org.uk/countries/USA/memorandum.htm This is a description filed by particpants on an IICD program back in 1991 on their experience, particularly in gaining access to information and resources for their program.

I'm not saying that these tell the complete story of Tvind (no way is it that simple) but I think it provides a sense that (1) there are good reasons to be concerned about budget/corruption with Tvind, and (2) there are patterns of manipulation and deceit with Tvind. This in my mind is enough to warn folk off and look into other things to do.

Lars

P.S. It's sad that you are so blase about corruption. Yes it exists but it doesn't make it right nor does it make working within a corrupt system pleasant.

Hi,

I am just a girl who is considering joining one of the Tvind organization and after reading this web-site I got second thoughts. But I have not decided yet. But one thing is that this web-site is full on anger and hate which makes me suspect also your motives. Also my comment for using money not only for charity - where have you been living? Corruption is everywhere and we just have to live with it. Until money runs this world there is nothing to do.

Wishing to get objective information about Tvind because here I see only subjective parts,

Lily

Hello Lars, Did you hear that the IICD Michigan team to Guatamela just quit they refused to go to Central America because there is no money in teh projects find out about this and shed some light for me. Observer

CCTG is not closed. We couldn't get that lucky!

OH, YOU MUST HAVE GOT YOUR ELECTRIC TURNED BACK ON THERE AT CCTG. ISN'T IT NICE? AND EXACTLY HOW ARE ALL YOUR STUDENTS???

Amdi in jail another 5 months? Why so long? Is it going to take Shapiro that long to build a case against extradition? Awwwww, that'll eat up all of Amdi's savings... Unless, of course, The Great Philanthropist has bamboozled Shapiro into putting it all back into the Common Economy!!! Oh, well, one good shark deserves another... we'll see how it all plays out in the end...

So Tomas, have you been down to Bakersfield lately?

We are doing "jolly good" here at CCTG and it has been very interesting to have all kinds of Danish media visiting.

Greetings from CCTG

American justice! What a beautiful thing!!! :)

Is CCTG closed? I've not seen any reports on this other than the comment below.

Lars

I KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE OTHER US TVIND SCHOOLS. THE SCAM HAS BEEN UNCOVERED. THEY WILL SOON CLOSE TOO. THE TVIND EMPIRE IS FALLING APART.

Hi everyone

I have joined to go to Noway in the Summer I will not be going anymore - partly because I am shocked and horrified at the stories that appear on this website and although many have argued that they are unfounded stories like this should not be appearing at all. There are many many organisations out there that need volunteers and i personally am not prepared to take the risk in Norway.

Campus California closed down? Maybe too much press in California with Amdi being there. How will this affect other US Tvind schools?

hello,i am henri, back from africa and humana...

hard to come back

mail to belhen12@hotmail.com

The women that writes about her son. What does her son think?

We know him and we know the story, what is nothing as the mother writes.

Actually Berlingske Tidende broke the Treyton-IKEA story some time ago, you can read more about it on Tvindalert under "China"

I have also seen Tvind and Humana close up and didnt like what i saw. This site has been helpful to a lot of people, who have had less than pleasant experiences during their time involved with this monolithic organisation. Its good to know that the media outside scandinavia have picked up on this and the people who run this website should be commended for providing an alternative voice (warts and all) to the Tvind Empire. if Tvind turns into an accountable concern with money and aid going to those who need it most and without a corrupt leader like Amdi at the helm then surely this is better than the system that Tvind operates under at the moment.

Ummmm - weren't you just sitting in front of your computer writing in the guessbook here? Just because one's opinion isn't the same as yours doesn't mean that what they are writing is stupid and senseless. There are lots of posts from current and former students and members of the TG here. How can you say that someones ACTUAL experience (be it different than yours) is rumor or speculation? There are two sides to every story. Not everyone had the same experience as you, although some did. So because you did have a good experience, should we say you are writing stupid and senseless shit because your experience is not the same as those who didn't? Of course not. You had your time, it was good - that's great. Some people did NOT have a good experience - that's not good. They have every right to post that here. That is what this message board is for. People who are considering entering one of the Tvind schools come here and read the posts - the good and the bad- and then form their own opinion. Putting down the people who run this web site tells me alot about you. Be open to everyones opinion. We all have a right to one, don't we?

I truly hope that all you people will some day find someone else to pick on-maybe the Red Cross for not spending donations made for humanitarian issues on building swimming pools for its employees! Embezzlement of money, tax fraud or not, the NGO's connected to Humana People to People in Africa still do very important work down there. I've been there, I've seen it. It's way easier to spread gossip around than it is to do so with serious journalism based on the truth and not on speculations and rumors. It's amazing for me how many people actually spend their time with sitting in front of the computer and writing stupid and senseless shit in this guest book here. Find something else to play with. For all you people who maintain this web site, does all this make your life any better? Will it improve your life quality if everything affiliated to the Teachers Group will get shut down? Go get a life! jhogenacker@icqmail.com

DREW, MY SON WAS IN CAMPUS CALIF. WHEN HE DID GET OUT, HE ASKED FOR HIS MONEY BACK AND THEY GAVE BACK SOME BUT NOT ALL. WE HAD TO THREATED THE MEDIA AND THE POLICE, GOOD LUCK

DREW, MY SON WAS IN CAMPUS CALIF. WHEN HE DID GET OUT, HE ASKED FOR HIS MONEY BACK AND THEY GAVE BACK SOME BUT NOT ALL. WE HAD TO THREATED THE MEDIA AND THE POLICE, GOOD LUCK

Yes, IKEA has a big superstore in Schaumburg, Illinois, outside of Chicago. Also one in New Jersey, I believe... I'd love to see what the Swedish article says....

Does anyone know if Tvind members can reclaim their contributions over the years if it can be proved that they have become the victims of a massive fraud. Drew

Does anyone know if Tvind members can reclaim their contributions over the years if it can be proved that they have become the victims of a massive fraud. Drew

Things like saying that someone is a moron because they defend Tvind and Amdi does not get you anywhere. If you have arguments put them forward but don't put people down. LISTEN and make up your mind. And if you only read newspapers and see websites like this then I don't give much for your arguments.

Tove

IKEA is in Chicago, USA too - isnt it?

IKEA and TVIND cooperates!!! Today Swedens leading newspaper had an articel revealing that the two companeis meantioned above have many connections. For ex. Tvind companies produce the furniture that IKEA sells in China. For those of You who can read swedish: http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?p=DNet&d=11&a=254572&f=index.html

To "Blentz", below... there is no disagreement between the Danish and US systems of law ... it's just that it is not allowed for a person who fights extradition in the US to be extradited without a trial. This extradition issue is separate completely from whether Amdi is innocent or guilty of the Danish charges... If Amdi had decided to go quietly without fighting extradition, then he'd be back in Denmark and on trial right now... The US did well to apprehend Amdi... and to hold him... and to continue to hold him, despite the several requests Shapiro has made to have him released on bond... that (to me) means the US Attorney is on to Amdi, at least enough to be wary of the possibility of his skipping town if he's freed even for a moment... I echo what a poster a long way down the list said a couple of weeks ago... that is... the US jails are a LOT tougher than they are in Denmark... Let Amdi feel what it's like to be a convict in the US for a while...he'll be happy to get back home, then, won't he?

Luis, you can email "feedback@tvindalert.org.uk" . Just tell your story on the page.

hi i'm a portuguese guy who have been in denmark(fakse, lindersvold school) for 5 mouths. fortunaly I found out in time what humana is all about,they ask me to leave coz I didn't have the same ideas. i'd like to tell my story. please tell me to where I can write it to my personnel adress: luis1coelho@hotmail.com greetings for all tvindalert people luis rodrigues coelho portugal

Since they arresting of Amdi. They told the teachers group to remove the teachers group business in there computers. Now they don't put things on papers. I want to go with them and this as to stop.

To the last poster:

Tying to defend a brainwashing fascist like Amdi with pocket philosophy will get you nowhere.

Because the Earth is round, Amdi must be innocent? Kinda sounds like a Shapiro/O.J defense allright, but puh-leeeze!!!

And you're a moron and will be found even dumber

The earth was flat and the world spun around the earth, everyone knew that. Until it was proven otherwise, even though it was proven, it took a long time before people accepted the thought without trying to burn the person saying it....

He has been charged and he WILL be found guilty.

How can you all be so sure that Amdi is guilty. He is hardly charged and last I checked you were innocent untill proven guilty. And he is definitely NOT convicted yet. Would you not want that for yourself if you were in a situation with the law? Does he not have the same human rights as anybody else, I might ask.

Tove

SWINDLE AGAIN

This Tvind-matter is not a matter of beeing logic, and it is not correct when you claim that there are no "charges" against Amdi and 5 other leading persons in Tvind. The danish police has material enough to issue an internationale warrant for arrest on Ambi, however there seems to be some disagreement between the american and the danish juridical system, but this does not mean that he isn`t "charged", because he is according to danish law. It is correct that it has been very diffucult to reveal if Ambi is the "head" of the Tvine impire. Nevertheless the danish police has evidence that he is.According to this the most fair decision would be to extradite Amdi to the danish police authorities where he will have a fair trial. But how can Ambi be "proven guilty" if Shapiro succeds in his business??? blentz@ofir.dk

while I dont dispute that many in the TG genuinely are there in "an attempt to do good work and to work and live together in a new way" there is no escaping the fact that millions of dollars have been salted away to line the pockets of so few. The old adage power corrupts does apply and the general public to boot have been fleeced (thats tax payers in many a country and those who donate in other ways). I can only hope some of the funding for projects that have escaped off shore accounts have done at least a little good, though judging from written accounts and newspaper reports, many of these projects were ill thought out and unproductive to say the least. Sorry but the hard facts are out there now.

How does Amdi rate being put in Solitary???????????

I have wondered, too, what will happen to the TG. Will they be independently-minded enough to carry on without the influence of KLAP? We'll see if they are, and if they then are creative enough/lacking in white Northern European racist arrogance enough/intellectually open and flexible enough, to carry out the best of what might have been the original, if unformed, intent of that little band of young, naive "Gypsy" hippies 30 years ago. Somehow (given the TG has continued to give up their own best intentions to follow the wiles of KLAP over the past many years, blind and unquestioning), I don't have a great amount of hope for that, but stranger things have happened. I wouldn't be opposed to the smartest, most honest (if there are any -- again, how can one be considered "honest," when one is aware that massive amounts of money donated to literally save peoples' lives is being swept away into the coffers of the persons at the top ) and best-intended of the TG becomming a legitimate, and legitimately useful NGO, and putting the millions of dollars intended for that use TO that use, but not having developed any skills in the area of thinking and acting independently, I doubt they'd be able to pull it off (And I'm not sure they'd know what to do with all that money!!!)

I am sure that there are many who will share my view that the glee of recent posters will be short-lived. Amdi and his key associates may well end up in prison, the funds they have controlled confiscated perhaps, but the teachers' group will continue in one form or another, despite the determination of the Danish authorities/media and this web-site to abolish it. The group will continue because it is based on sound ideals, however far you and I may disagree with the way the work has progressed. It will continue because there is an enormous amount of solidarity among members built up over years. I have been a member of the teachers' group, but I disagree with some of their policies and actions. I remain, however, a supporter of the teachers' group work because I trust the core ideals of its leaders. I have worked with many of the people named in the court documents and I know their ideals are NOT based on self-interest or self-enrichment. They are GENUINELY based on an attempt to do good work and to work and live together in a new way. Amid the discourse popular now concerning globalisation, international affiars and the role of the non-state actor, it is interesting to note that the teachers' group may be one of the earliest truly non-state actors under the popular, current definition of the term. I realise that this contribution may attract criticism and perhpas even ridicule and insult, but perhaps we can balance out this debate a little.

Hope this great swindler finally gets his just rewards, we can but hope that the legal system works as it should do and a con merchant of Amdi's VAST proportions is justly reprimanded and punished along with all the other Tvind crooks. Looking forward to the Radio 4 broadcast.

Readers may like to know that a half hour BBC radio programme on Tvind, Crossing Continents, will be aired on Radio 4 at 11am on Thursday 21st March. Tvind Alert assisted with the research. (And they didn't even buy us lunch.....)

Welcome to America Amdi - Where we PAY our taxes!

YeeeHawww! Welcome Amdi!

Let's welcome Amdi into another few weeks, months or years custody c/o the American and Danish prison systems.

WOLONTARIAT TO Z DEFINICJI PRACA, ZA KTORA NIE OTRZYMUJE SIE WYNAGRODZENIA. Dopki przyszli wolontariusze sobie tego nie uswiadomia, nie maja czego szukac w zadnej organizacji wolontariackiej. Z definicji rwniez ludzie chca pracowac za darmo, poniewaz uwazaja, ze sprawa, ktrej poswiecaja w ten sposb swj czas, jest naprawde wazna. Zaplata ma byc satysfakcja, a nie plroczny urlop na safari. Nigdzie na swiecie nie ma darmowych wakacji, nawet w HUMANIE, chociaz tutaj rzeczywiscie wyjazd jest za grosze. Takie stwierdzenie odbiera mi prawo dyskusji bez wysuwania zarzutu o to, ze, byc moze, Anka ulegla czyjejs sugestii. O praniu mzgu nie wspominajac. Ale okazuje sie, ze to jej przekonanie nie ma nic wsplnego z tym, czego mozna sie dowiedziec od samych przedstawicieli organizacji czy Teacherss Group. Mzg wyprala sobie sama. Oni zdaja sie nie miec pojecia, jak ich organizacja wyglada w porwnaniu z innymi. Na info-meetingach wydaja sie zazenowani, ze szkolenie kosztuje az 1000 dolarw i ze trzeba bedzie zarobic dodatkowe dwa. W efekcie wszyscy niedoswiadczeni ochotnicy sa z poczatku sfrustrowani, bo wydaje im sie, ze sa wykorzystywani. Bzdura! Prosze porozmawiac z kims, kto ma jakies pojecie o sprawie albo po prostu poszukac w Internecie jakichkolwiek informacji o dostepnych wolontariatach, ewentualnie pracy z organizacjami charytatywnymi. HUMANA to amatorszczyzna, ale nie sekta i nie ograbiaja nikogo z kieszonkowego. Zaczynam od Internetu. Znajduje w koncu strone http://www.volunteerabroad.com, profesjonalne narzedzie dla przyszlych wolontariuszy. Czytam i oczom nie wierze. Na poczatek cos oczywistego: Wolontariat za granica nie jest dla kazdego, wiec zanim na cokolwiek sie zdecydujesz, powinienes rozwazyc kilka rzeczy. Jakich? Oto one: 1. powd Jesli marzy ci sie nieustajaca impreza dookola swiata wolontariat nie jest dla ciebie. Kup bilet na Ibize albo, jesli to za droga dla ciebie opcja, idz na impreze do znajomych i zabierz ze soba atlas swiata. Ale nie zastanawiaj sie dluzej nad baletami pod szyldem zbawiania swiata. To sie nie uda. Czy to w ogle jest dla ciebie? Wolontariat wymaga umiejetnosci przystosowania, cierpliwosci, ludzi, ktrzy potrafia dzialac bez potrzeby mwienia im, ze to juz czas, maja motywacje, a przede wszystkim gleboki respekt dla ludzi, z ktrymi pracuja i ich kultury. Wolontariusze nigdy nie ucza ludzi zachodniego sposobu zycia, ani tez nie jada nigdzie, by kogokolwiek zbawiac. Jada, by dzielic swoja energie i czas z ludzmi, by doswiadczyc ich kultury z pierwszej reki i by sie rozwijac. Co wiec dokladnie musisz rozwazyc? 2. mozesz zyc jak koczownik bez nowoczesnych systemw sanitarnych, cieplej wody, elektrycznosci? Jesli nie poszukaj czegos innego. Wiekszosc projektw dziala w krajach rozwijajacych sie, wiec zanim na cokolwiek sie zdecydujesz, sprawdz, dokad tak bardzo chcesz wyjechac. Ostatnia rzecz, ktrej organizacja i miejscowa ludnosc potrzebuja, to ktos uskarzajacy sie na jedzenie. 3. jestes wystarczajaco otwarty, by zaakceptowac kulture, w ktrej sie znajdziesz, bez wzgledu na to, jak odmienna jest od twojej? Musisz pamietac, ze, gdziekolwiek sie znajdziesz, bedziesz tylko gosciem, wiec prby przeforsowania lepszych rozwiazan beda atakiem na wieki tradycji. I dodatkowo skoncza sie pewnie usunieciem cie z projektu. Nikt nie potrzebuje wolontariusza, ktry utrudnia organizacji wsplprace z miejscowa ludnoscia, administracja czy przedstawicielami wladzy. 4. czy jestes zadowolony z siebie? Czasami mozesz czuc sie izolowany, zwlaszcza, kiedy nagle znajdujesz sie w wiosce, gdzie nie znasz nikogo. Wielu studentw podrzuje, poniewaz sa nieusatysfakcjonowani stanem swojego zycia we wlasnym domu. To zly powd, by wyruszyc w swiat. Jesli masz problemy w domu, na przyklad ze swoim chlopakiem, praca, wspllokatorami, nie oczekuj, ze znikna, kiedy tylko opuscisz swj kraj. Najprawdopodobniej beda cie przesladowac i beda jeszcze bardziej uciazliwe, kiedy dodatkowo pojawia sie problemy kulturowe i z przystosowaniem. 5. latwo sie przystosowujesz? 6. jestes glodny wiedzy? Mozesz nauczyc sie nowego jezyka, nowej kultury, nowego sposobu zycia. Latwosc przystosowania i cierpliwosc to klucze, by to doswiadczenie bylo satysfakcjonujace. Kraje rozwijajace sie szczeglnie nie sa opetane idea czasu tak, jak USA czy Europa. Czesto plany sa ignorowane lub spotkania zaczynaja sie pzniej, niz to ustalono. Organizacje pozarzadowe, miedzynarodowe organizacje niedochodowe i wolontariackie prawie zawsze cierpia na brak wystarczajacej liczby pracownikw. Twoje wejscie nie bedzie tak gladkie i swietnie zorganizowane jak wycieczka albo wakacje na Karaibach. Rzeczy czesto moga wydawac sie zdezorganizowane (), mozesz miec do czynienia z korupcja, a przedstawiciele rzadu i administracji czesto pracuja w sposb, ktry dla ciebie nie ma sensu. Musisz zaakceptowac program i zaoferowac swoje uslugi w jego ramach. Ta strona ani slowem nie wspomina o HUMANIE. Istnieje, poniewaz jest wiele innych organizacji, ktre korzystaja z pracy wolontariackiej i jest mnstwo ludzi, ktrzy chca zrobic cos, co nadaloby sens ich zyciu. Standardy tu prezentowane nie prbuja usprawiedliwiac HUMANY. Sa oglnie przyjete. Kazdy wolontariusz musi sie z nimi pogodzic, zanim zdecyduje sie na wsplprace. I najwazniejsze musi sie rwniez pogodzic z kosztami. Niewiele jest mozliwosci podrzy tanszych od wolontariatu. Wiele organizacji dla wolontariuszy wymaga oplaty. Zazwyczaj pokrywa ona pokj/zakwaterowanie, instruktaz przed wyjazdem i sam program. Wielu wolontariuszy pokrywa swoje koszty, piszac listy do firm i rodziny, zbierajac darowizny kosciolw lub organizacji studenckich, czy tez poprzez inne, oparte na datkach, akcje. Fundraising to najprostsza droga, by oplacic wyjazd wolontariusza za granice (). Studenci pytali mnie: Dlaczego musze placic, zeby mc pracowac za granica? O ile nie jestes doktorem albo inzynierem, albo nie planujesz spedzic na wolontariacie przynajmniej roku lub dwch, prawdopodobnie bedziesz musial zaplacic. Byc moze zamierzasz wybudowac szkole na Filipinach organizacja wolontariacka bedzie musiala zaplacic za materialy budowlane, zaaranzowac logistyke programu, zapewnic zakwaterowanie dla uczestnikw w miejscu pracy, opracowac i opublikowac informatory oraz sprzedac program. Gdyby jedynym powodem dzialalnosci bylo wybudowanie szkoly, o wiele latwiej i taniej byloby zatrudnic lokalnych rzemieslnikw, ktrych koszt jest duzo nizszy, a praca szybsza. Tymczasem celem organizacji jest raczej zapewnienie doswiadcznia kulturalnego tobie oraz ludnosci lokalnej i umozliwienie ci poznania zycia w filipinskiej wiosce. Przypominam raz jeszcze to nie jest strona w jakikolwiek sposb zwiazana z HUMANA, poza tym, ze HUMANA jest organizacja wolontariacka. Take it or leave it, jak mwia ludzie, ktrzy przeszli przez ten program i znaja zarzuty wysuwane przez laikw. Bierz, co ci daja, albo odejdz. Niestety, HUMANA nie kladzie wystarczajacego nacisku na przystepne wyjasnienie warunkw, na jakich mozna z nimi wsplpracowac. Mglistosc ich zalozen i nieumiejetnosc wyjasnienia, na czym ta praca tak naprawde polega (bez wzgledu na to, z kim pracujesz), wywoluja nieuzasadnione prawami rynku reakcje wolontariuszy. Ciagle jednak pozostaje pytanie, czy, choc praca i warunki, w jakich znajduja sie uczestnicy programu, sa jednakowe dla wlasciwie wszystkich organizacji, HUMANA nie wykorzystuje sytuacji, kazac sobie placic znacznie wiecej, niz to jest przyjete. Inna oglnoswiatowa strona, http://www.globalvolunteers.org, jako niesamowita okazje podaje takie dwie oferty: Mozliwosc uczenia angielskiego, podstawowych nauk scislych, matematyki lub pomocy w szkole wieczorowej dla kobiet w Ghanie 12 dni za 1.950$, 19 dni za jedyne 2050$ lub: Tanzania tylko studenci collegeu (dzienni, z potwierdzeniem oplaty biezacego semestru i legitymacja)! Trzy tygodnie za jedyne 1950$!!! Jezeli to dla kogos zbyt mgliste, krtkie i niewystarczajaco odpowiedzialne, Lekarze bez Granic nigdy nie odmawiaja czlonkostwa w ich organizacji. Jedyne warunki to: bycie wykwalifikowanym lekarzem lub renomowana pielegniarka ewentualnie polozna posiadanie innego profesjonalnego specjalistycznego wyksztalcenia medycznego bycie specjalista w innej uzytecznej dla organizacji dziedzinie doswiadczenie (dla wszystkich) Dodatkowo, niestety, nie mozna z nimi zostac wolontariuszem weekendowym. Podobnie jak z CORD Christian Outreach-Relief & Development (na http://www.cord.org.uk), choc tu warunek latwy do spelnienia dla Polakw oferta dostepna tylko dla chrzescijan. Gorzej, ze bez kwalifikacji najdalej posuniete oddanie Bogu nie ma zadnego znaczenia. Concordia (Youth Service Volunteers) Ltd. oferuje wyjazdy duzo tansze oplata juz od 100 funtw szterlingw, na 2-3 tygodniowe obozy od czerwca do wrzesnia. Jedyne warunki to pokrycie kosztw podrzy i swoich wydatkw na miejscu. Amnesty International w Londynie nie przyjmuje wolontariuszy. Jak mwia, to sie nie oplaca, jezeli wolontariusz nie jest gotowy poswiecic przynajmniej czterech godzin dziennie i to pracujac codziennie. Najchetniej przyjmowani, jezeli w ogle, sa ludzie gotowi pracowac na pelny etat bez wynagrodzenia (wolontariusze) i z doswiadczeniem, bo przyuczanie ochotnikw nawet do zwyklego pisania listw (typowa dla AI dzialalnosc) zajmuje zbyt wiele czasu wykwalifikowanych pracownikw. Jak mwi jeden z nich, ktry przez pl roku pracowal dla AI w prawie ten sam sposb, w jaki wolontariusze HUMANY zbieraja wiekszosc funduszy proszac ludzi na ulicach Londynu o podpisanie zobowiazania regularnych wplat dla AI: Czasem przychodzili do nas ludzie, ktrzy po prostu nie wiedzieli, co ze soba zrobic. Uwazali, ze robimy cos wspanialego i chcieli stac sie tego czescia. Przychodzili przekonani, ze oto ofiarowuja nam swj czas cz moze byc wartosciowszego?! Wzamian za ten dar kazdy z nich oczekiwal, ze oto my, platna kadra, bedziemy wokl nich biegac, tlumaczyc, co i jak zrobic, od czasu do czasu nagradzac jakims gadzetem To sie nie oplaca! Jednego dnia utknalem w biurze, bo wolontariusz chcial nam raz na tydzien pomagac z pisaniem listw. To nie byl jego pierwszy tydzien, ale i tak praktycznie nie moglem odejsc od jego biurka. Caly czas o cos pytal. Chcial dobrze, ale zmarnowal mj, kosztujacy organizacje, czas. Tymczasem ktokolwiek z nas byl w stanie napisac ten sam list w pietnascie minut. Tak wiec, jezeli nie mozesz nam zagwarantowac, ze bedziesz pracowac regularnie i nikt nie bedzie musial cie prowadzic za reke, nie mozemy cie przyjac! Wolontariuszom sie wydaje, ze oto sa, wiec im daj. Tymczasem sama sila robocza nie jest juz nic warta. Licza sie umiejetnosci i regularnosc. Lista organizacji wolontariackich jest bardzo dluga i, niestety, najczesciej faworyzuje ludzi z co najmniej 2000 dolarw i doswiadczeniem, ktrzy maja ochote spedzic okolo pl miesiaca robiac cos pozytecznego i innego niz to, czym zajmowali sie dotychczas. Nie daje im jednak zbyt duzej odpowiedzialnosci. Jako wolontariusz placisz za to, ze mozesz sie poczuc dobry, ale tak naprawde brak ci umiejetnosci, wiec dobrze, popatrz sobie, poplacz nad sierotami, poudzielaj sie w wieczorowej szklce, a potem wrc do domu i zostaw reszte profesjonalistom. A HUMANA? Napisana w podobnym stylu, jej charakterystyka wygladala by tak: projekty 14-20 miesiecy w Afryce, Azji, Ameryce Poludniowej lub czteroletni trening w Indiach; kwalifikacje niekonieczne; pierwsza wplata niewymagana; organizacja pomaga znalezc prace i pokryc koszty szkolenia i wyjazdu oraz pobytu w kraju docelowym; calkowity koszt projektu dwudziestomiesiecznego to : 1700 DKK wpisowego; : 5 500 DKK (wplacane przed samym wyjazdem) na pokrycie polowy kosztu biletu lotniczego (druga polowe plus ubezpiecznie i szczepionki, a takze lekarstwa przeciw malarii oplaca HUMANA); : 20 000 DKK wplaty gwarancyjnej, pokrywajacej koszt pierwszego miesiaca i ewentualnej rezygnacji; : 36 000 za 8 miesiecy w Danii (6 szkolenia i 2 pracy informacyjnej po powrocie, 12 miesiecy w samym projekcie jest oplacane przez HUMANE) Razem 63 200 koron dunskich, czyli prawie 8000 dolarw lub, jak kto woli 32 000 zlotych. To daje okolo 1000 dolarw na miesiac o polowe taniej, niz w reklamowanym jako specjalna okazja wyjezdzie do Ghany. O roku w Afryce za darmo nie mwiac. Podpisujac umowe, zobowiazujemy sie do wplaty 8000 DKK miesiecznie, z czego 1000 jest placony przez HUMANE, 2500 pokrywane z pierwszej wplaty (ktra moze zostac uwzgledniona w stypendium) i zostaje nam 4500 DKK na miesiac. W przypadku rezygnacji pzniej niz po uplywie miesiaca oplata to 8000 za kazdy spedzony w szkole miesiac plus 8000 ekstra. Przestaje dziwic, ze niektrzy uczestnicy projektu uciekaja w nocy przez okno. Dla przecietnego Polaka bylaby to kwota nie do splacenia. A placenie 4500 DKK na miesiac? 2250 zlotych to bardzo ladna suma. Dla Polaka. Dla Dunczyka to 580 koron (280 zlotych) ponizej minimum socjalnego. Mwiac dosadnie, ponizej granicy ubstwa.

Anka siedzi na lzku w swojej klasie, oblozona ciezkimi tomami o historii Afryki. Przygotowuje wyklad dla swojej grupy. Zaraz na poczatku pozbyli sie nauczycielki i postanowili uczyc sami, wiec teraz spoczywa na nich bardzo duza odpowiedzialnosc. To byla mloda Japonka, mila, ale nie umiala przekazac tego, czego nauczyla sie w czasie swojego projektu. HUMANA nie ma pieniedzy na nauczycieli, wiec byli wolontariusze pracuja za grosze w tej wlasnie roli. tlumaczy Czasem trafiaja sie kiepscy. Czasem trafia sie grupa ludzi po studiach, jak nasza, i stawia na swoim. Troche mi jej zal dodaje, ale bez przekonania Teraz mamy nowa, jest fantastyczna! Siedzisz nad ksiazkami? pytam, pamietajac info-weekend Myslalam, ze uczycie sie na programie komputerowym? Taka idea. Niezla, jesli uczniami sa ludzie, ktrzy nie wiedza nic, bo program jest tak jakby lista wypunktowana. Bez rozwiniecia. Chcesz wiedziec cos wiecej szukaj sam! Ale to tez podstawowe zalozenie programu jesli nie masz samozaparcia, zeby sie uczyc, nikt ci nie pomoze. Wiec po tygodniu walki z komputerami powiedzielismy: Dosc! i opracowalismy wlasny systm. Dziala. Na studiach tyle sie nie uczylam! Czyli program jest do niczego? Zaslona dymna? Lista wypunktowana powtarza Anka Chcesz sie uczyc nikt ci nie zabroni. Dostep do Internetu mamy staly i kazdy swj komputer. Dodatkowo biblioteka w miescie wypozycza nam nieograniczone ilosci ksiazek, a sa swietnie zaopatrzeni w literature anglojezyczna. Dunczycy sa swietni w angielskim i bardzo z tego dumni. I starcza ci czasu na studia? A pieniadze? 4500 na miesiac to strasznie duzo! Gdybym byla len, to 4500 na miesiac znaczy piec dni sprzedawania gazet. Pozostale 25 dni mam na nauke, basem, ogladanie filmw, wieczory teatralne, spacery brzegiem morza i czytanie ksiazek w lzku do poludnia. Ale len nie jestem, wiec w dwa tygodnie zebralam 15 000. poza tym dostalam teraz prace w kuchni, ktra polega tylko na tym, ze trzy razy dziennie sprawdzam, czy ludzie sa w kuchni na czas, jedzenie jest gotowe, a spizarnia pelna. Robie liste zakupw i przygotowuje menu na weekend, poza tym jest kucharka. Nie robie ani zakupw, ani nie gotuje wiecej, niz kazdy inny uczen tej szkoly. Jesli wyjde jeszcze raz na tydzien, caly fundraising, lacznie z dwoma tygodniami po powrocie, mam z glowy. Slyszalam, ze sprzatanie zajmuje wam wiekszosc czasu? Planowo pl godziny dziennie po sniadaniu. W rzeczywistosci jak sie komu podoba. Staramy sie tylko pozostac w granicach przyzwoitosci i nie zapuscic szkoly zupelnie. Wiec sprzatacie, zarabiacie, gotujecie, uczycie sie bez nauczyciela szkola musi na was tez zarabiac? Niezupelnie. Placimy 4500 na miesiac. Tymczasem przynajmniej 1000 koron dziennie jest wydawane na samo jedzenie dla 25 osb. To daje przynajmniej 1200 na miesiac za jedna osobe. W zeszlym miesiacu wydalismy 87 000 na ogrzewanie nastepne 3480 na osobe, czyli lacznie 4680. Jak dla mnie szkola juz w tym momencie traci, a nie policzylismy jeszcze wody, elektrycznosci, karnetw na basen, Internetu i telefonw. O filmach z wypozyczalni, Coca-Coli, popcornie i ciastkach kilka razy na tydzien nie mwiac. A pojutrze na trzy dni jedziemy na narty do Lillehammer. Za darmo? Aha. To coroczne Igrzyska Zimowe. Gdzie wiec ta sekta, wyzysk i znecanie sie nad wami? Mnie pani pyta? Mnie tu dobrze.

M.S.

i'm curious about the state of things at the iicd-MA school as of now..and whats going on with their projects..also check out iicd watch its a new website with very ObJective material..it has some good info...oh is it true all of the central america projects including the Nicaragua project are now closing or in the process of being phased out...

I'm curious, too, Lene... when were you involved with Tvind? Marianna

Lene, Which school were you at and when? It would help to have more information.

I have been a student myself and think it's great that someone is investigating this organisation. It is a cult even if there is no religion.

Lene

Christopher, how 'undercover' do you think you could be now that you have told the whole world, your intentions, Tvind and all?

iam a drh student in tvind my email address is christopherwilson@hotmail.com perhapes I could help you.undercover

Marianna, here...

As to who I am: (I have recounted this elsewhere ... you can read a brief version in the "Who We Are" section, a longer version in "Other Stories" -- scroll down to "Marianna's Story, Ake Pecha, USA" (which, by the was was written off the top of my head about an hour after I discovered, and had skimmed in utter astonishment through the Tvind Alert website last October), or you can go back through the archives for details, mostly in my interactions with "Chris," but I'll write a nutshell version here, since you asked...)

I have been volunteering my time as the U.S. contact for Tvind Alert.

My experience with Tvind goes back to the 1980's in the U.S., when the Traveling Folk School (i.e., Amdi Petersen, in absentia, and his gang of merry Tvind Folk) ran a small school for emotionally disturbed children in Virginia for a couple of years. My American coworker and I were haplessly hired as teachers solely because they needed people with American college degrees as one of the conditions of their keeping their already shakey license to operate. Shortly after we began to work there, we saw the conditon of the school, which ran with minimal staffing (the bulk of the staff was always off somewhere else fundraising, going door to door collecting used clothing and books, or doing other mysterious TG work that had nothing to do with running a residential treatment center/school), minimal supervision/care of the children (one little girl was raped as a result -- all of the kids ran wild at all hours of the day or night), minimal nutritious food, minimal upkeep of the plumbing in the decrepit building (which backed up, overflowed and soaked through the cement block walls into the students's bedrooms more than once ), virtually no educational materials or books, despite a hefty $2,166 a month in fees paid to the school per child. Appalled and very suspicious, my cowoker and I reported the school to the State authorities, and then testified in a license recission hearing to corroborate "from the inside" the four piles of reports of license infractions from the four different state agencies which supplied kids to the school (note well: the supply of kids = money, just as the supply of volunteer DIs = money). The reports were of licensing infractions, and strange and fuzzily questionable activities (activities, once again, which were clearly not focused on the tasks at hand, which were, presumably, to care for and educate the children there) on the part of school officials, all but one of whom were Teachers Group members. When the school's license to operate was rescinded, and their re-application was denied, the Traveling Folk School defaulted on the mortgage for the school property and those Teacher's Group members who had not been completely scorned by the Tvind higher-ups, went up to Massachusetts to shape-shift into the very first IICD. From thence have we arrived today.

I am involved to the extent that I am with Tvind Alert because I am still incensed at the treatment my students, who had no recourse, received at the hands of the Teacher's Group. I know from the persons to whom I've talked, who have had more recent experiences with Tvind's programming, that not too much has changed about the way things are run, the goals of the orgnaization, the priorities of the Teacher's Group, etc...It's just gotten bigger and sort of more streamlined. So I'm doing whatever I can to get them exposed, and to keep whatever spotlights I can focused on them...

Marianna

Anyone who is out there it is Christy from IICD MI. ALL I can say is thank God we got as far away from IICD when we did. I am just sorry so many had to be hurt in the process. Hello to everyone I have not talked to in a while. What happened in Vietnam? To anyone who is thinking of joining this org, just remember one thing there are a million ways to volunteer without having to question your beliefs and morals. seejayl@hotmail.com

Hello All,

I've posted an argument/critique of TG schools in the US. My target audience are people considering in enrolling in a program and who are view the stories/articles posted here as hate-inspired or tabloid. I try to just look at the experience at one of these schools without taking the larger TG/Tvind issues.

The argument is an attempt to take a look at what issues a volunteer is likely to encounter during a program and suggests alternative ways to travel and volunteer in other countries for less time and money. Also I've put up some analysis of the tax returns of IICD-MA and IICD-MI that give an accurate breakdown of revenue sources and expenses.

The site contains a lot of postings and stories that come from Tvindalert and the websites of the schools.

http://iicdwatch.bravepages.com/

Cheers............

I left IICD MI on Dec16th 2001, I was promised a refund of $2000.00 us funds, after many ,many phone calls ,emails and promises, and one bounced cheque, I finally received it on May 3rd 2002, so there is hope, anyone waiting for a refund, keep bugging and you may get lucky like I did. Maureen

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