OUR VISION
'Global Youth for a Sustainable Future'

OUR MISSION
To promote world peace, mutual respect and intercultural exchange by facilitating international volunteerism among youth in the fields of Natural Resource Management and Socioeconomic Development of local communities.

HISTORY
Our journey began in the year 2000 and FSL-India (Field Services and Inter-cultural Learning - India) was legally incorporated in 2001, a Trust under the Indian Trust Act 1882. FSL-India was formed with the support of like-minded national and international organizations with a primary purpose of bringing about global transformation, progress and growth through youth exchange programs.

Over the years FSL-India has grown to become one of the largest volunteer hosting organizations in the country, organising various volunteer and development projects throughout India mainly through Short Term Work camps and Long Term Volunteer (LTV) placements. Most of the projects are carried out independently, and some are undertaken in cooperation with local NGOs as they are aware of the development work that needs to be undertaken in an area and have hands on experience. We support them in their efforts to address the issues and the precise needs of the local community and help bring about the desired change in the long term.

Today, FSL-India is a leading youth development organisation of India focused towards intercultural Learning through Voluntary Services, set up to promote Global Understanding by providing opportunities to youth to work in different cultural contexts and to appreciate intercultural learning. This helps to reduce boundaries and bring people together to work in harmony, with an understanding of the intercultural aspects and focusing on development of people and society through youth mobility and volunteerism. Annually, FSL-India mobilizes 1500 and more young people from across the globe with the support of international partners and local NGOs.

FSL-India is headquartered in Bangalore, with regional offices in Karnataka (Bangalore, Mysore and Kundapur), Tamil Nadu (Chennai), and Pondicherry and is well equipped with experienced associates who support developmental activities across the country with the help of local and regional Partners.

OUR IDEOLOGY
We believe that the experience of living and working with people from varied cultural backgrounds creates understanding and respect, something that we should all work on and feel responsible for, in this world!

Volunteering is the heart of our work and activities. We initiate our programs together with local communities in building a more peaceful and self-content society. By placing volunteers throughout India and the world in various communities, we show interest in the work and lives of people, which in turn encourages them to take up their own initiatives and find local solutions to their problems. We also hope to make people more aware of the world in which they live and its unlimited possibilities.

Through this endeavour, we help open the minds of local communities towards internationalism in an age of globalization. It further encourages exchange of individual experiences and points of view among all the participants involved. It also creates awareness and reflection on one’s own culture.

By providing opportunities to participate in our programs, FSL- India considers that volunteers will get access to “Alternative Education” which includes a number of approaches to the learning process other than mainstream education. Alternative education with a blend of local and global perspectives would vary widely, often emphasizing the value of close relationships between international volunteers and local communities with adequate opportunities for intercultural learning and exposure. This would also enhance the global competency of international volunteers as well as local youth, who are also expected to contribute substantially to bringing the global dimension to local situations and place the local issues in the global scenario.

WHY BE A VOLUNTEER?

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