Life Features: Volunteering for overseas development work is a growing trend, but research is vital to find a placement that will reward the volunteer and the host community, writes Adrienne Murphy

If you're considering volunteering in overseas development, you're part of a growing trend for people of every age in Irish society.

While there are no studies yet on the numbers of Irish people volunteering to work in development, both anecdotal evidence and the growing number of "sending organisations" operating from here show that short-term voluntary work in developing countries is an increasingly popular option.

"Short-term" work - generally classed as anything from one week to a year - encompasses a vast range of voluntary activities, from construction and education to emergency relief. Volunteers' motivations are often altruistic, yet it takes a lot more than goodwill and a desire to give something back to find a placement that genuinely rewards both the volunteer and the host community, promoting the broader goal of global justice in the process.

Where do willing volunteers begin amid the mass of information available on work options and destinations? How can they be sure that the organisation they choose is running a really effective operation? Is there a risk that, by working for free, the volunteer may inadvertently take employment from locals? Does the host project subtly ascribe to superior/inferior "us and them" style power relations, seeing local people as helpless recipients, or does it take its cue from the community and co-operate with them as equals, with long-term empowerment and social justice as the aim?

For the first time, would-be volunteers can find a way through these and many other considerations using one central source of reference. Published this month, Working for a Better World: A Guide to Volunteering in Global Development offers Irish people a comprehensive guide to volunteering overseas.

Compiled by Barry Cannon and Dervla King and published by the group known as Comhlámh - Development Workers in Global Solidarity - Working For A Better World shows potential volunteers how to examine their personal motivations, then research and choose a reliable volunteering organisation to find a placement that suits them best.

With chapters such as "What Have I Got Myself Into? Thoughts on Being a Volunteer and Getting the Most Out of the Experience", it's clear that Working For A Better World aims to cut through false expectations and illusions that Irish people may have about living and working in a developing country. Honest testimonials from former volunteers offer valuable advice, highlighting the challenges alongside the rewards of their various overseas experiences.

According to Cannon - himself a seasoned development volunteer - "the book includes a detailed directory of over 110 organisations that arrange volunteer placements. We encourage people to research the organisations, the destinations and the work they'll be doing really well before they go, and to use this book as a tool for learning to ask the right questions.

"In any short-term volunteering there'll be a large element of cultural exchange," Cannon says. "It's an opportunity for someone from here to learn what it's like to live in a developing country, whilst participating with locals in particular projects. Often you're going to learn more from them than they learn from you.

"There's a whole chapter in the book on coming home, coping with any 'reverse culture shock' you may experience and, most importantly, on staying involved by bringing what you've learned to bear on Irish society. A big emphasis in both the book and Comhlámh is harnessing the knowledge of overseas volunteers, so that it goes beyond isolated individual experiences.

"Irish people returning from development work overseas have a huge amount to contribute back home in debates about development," adds Cannon. "As well as helping volunteers to find the best work for them, Working For A Better World offers advice on the best way to bring the reality of the developing world, and what's really needed to help eradicate poverty and injustice, back home to Ireland."

• Solas 2005 - a conference marking 30 years of Comhlámh, the Development Studies Centre, Kimmage, and Action From Ireland - takes place on Friday and Saturday at All Hallows College, Drumcondra, Dublin. For information on this and Comhlámh's book, Working for a Better World: A Guide to Volunteering in Global Development, contact 01-4783490 or visit www.comhlamh.org

• Inside the aid industry: a four-part series starts in The Irish Times this Saturday