Travel Update (13-Dec)

Thank you for volunteering to the WSF2005 "Translation Project". Since your registered, you received information regarding the WSF and were able to participate in making several important decisions for this project, in particular the selection process. If you feel you have missed on something please go to:
– For all the "INFO" emails and all the Reports:
http://www.babels.org/rubrique.php3...
– For all the Discussions between volunteers:
http://www.babels.org/forum/index.p...

Travel and Volunteer Selection

(You will find all detailed information on the budget and the process mentioned hereafter in the website)

We started the selection of volunteers in September as planned. People registered before September 30 received different emails asking them to confirm their will to participate in the WSF. If the people who received these emails replied to us, the process for them continued. The people who volunteered to coordinate this task are Bruno and Monica. They have answered your requests and have filled your file with the relevant information.

For travel the work began around October 30. Volunteers who were confirmed (see above) sent us their travel dates, and this information was put in their file. The people who volunteered to coordinate this task are Grazie and Laurent.

In November a budget issue appeared. Unlike what we were proposing, we were unable to send to the Brazilian travel agencies the name, date and location of the selected volunteers. We were blocked because we were told there was no money available to purchase plane tickets.

White we are still trying to solve this issue, we are continuing with the process of selection/confirmation.

On November 2nd, we issued a "warning" for people coming from the USA, Canada and Europe (regardless of their nationality — we do not verify anyone’s nationality) stating that we could not find means to organize their coming to POA. This early warning was confirmed by facts. We then told many volunteers that they were going to be put in a "standby" list without any guarantee that we would be able to resolve the issue in the near future. Some of the volunteers accepted to be put on this "standby" list.

At this stage we can say that we will not be able to have more people coming from the USA, Canada or Europe besides the 70 persons who have already received a confirmation. For all the volunteers coming from other parts of the world, and especially from Latin America, we are still in selecting people in certain areas and countries.

For people living in Argentina and Uruguay, it is of the utmost importance that you get in touch with the volunteers coordinating these countries (see website for their email address) as travel and selection will be organized centrally.

For people living in Rio, Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre (or nearby) please contact the coordinations in these cities immediately as selection is taking place every week (see website for contacts). For people living in other parts of Brazil please contact any of these cities.

If you are living in other regions of the world, especially Africa and Asia, we will try once again to have more people coming. But to be honest, there are already 15 people coming from these parts of the world and we are not optimistic of being able to have more volunteers at this stage.

If you are planning to come on your own without any financial help from Babels or the WSF, please contact poa2005-viaje@babels.org as soon as possible. You can count on our solidarity for accommodation and you will receive information as how to obtain a free visa to Brazil as a Babels Volunteer.

This summary of the situation was made thanks to the information available on the website and in the discussion forum. If you want more information please go there:
http://www.babels.org/rubrique.php3...

We have published this summary in the forum for you to react, comment or exchange information: "Getting involved" "Volunteer Selection Methodology".