Corporate Alliance - Global Vision International

GVI Responsible Travel Policy

Image of spectacular mountain range

Economic Responsibility

Depending upon the duration of the volunteer program attended and the current attendance, between 50% and 100% of the Volunteer contribution goes directly to the project either by means of a financial contribution, investment in research equipment or project staffing. In 2006, 78% of all monies received were spent in-field. GVI has formed an international charitable trust to further its services to partner organizations. If GVI or GVI CA is asked by a project to recruit professional staff, we endeavor to employ experts from the local community to fill these positions.

Funding for each program comes from GVI and the GVI CA, and entirely from the volunteers, ensuring the long-term viability of the program at no cost to partner organizations. However, the program can be valued far above these financial contributions. Through participation in an Expedition, each volunteer becomes a fully trained research scientist or English teacher or valued worker, with knowledge of the area, its natural resources and its threats. With their hands-on input, valuable conservation and community development projects can be carried out, the financial worth of which is far greater than the direct financial contribution.

Environmental Responsibility

In the field:

All of the projects that GVI and GVI CA support directly benefit either the environment, the local community, or both. All projects are carefully chosen, with specific attention being paid to their involvement in the sustainability of all their practices / project goals.

GVI and GVI CA utilize local suppliers and businesses in order to ensure that local communities are benefiting from our presence and to minimize their environmental impact.

The expeditions and projects are run in a sustainable manner, using solar power, re-using rainwater, recycling and composting. Our Mahahual project actually runs as an example recycling and composting centre for the entire village. This sets an example to the local communities and the Expedition Members, who take home the message of environmental good practices, in terms of coral reef conservation and sustainable use of natural and manmade resources.

The aims, methodologies and research rights all belong in-country. GVI and GVI CA share the data they collect with all their host country partners and organizations, and do not claim any ownership over this data or remove it from the country concerned.

In the office:

Several of GVI and GVI CA’s staff work from home. This is made possible through investment in additional computers / services and communication technology. In the office we recycle all paper and packaging and publications are produced using sustainable materials wherever possible.

Partnership with Climate Care:

GVI and GVI CA have teamed up with Climate Care to help repair the biggest environmental impact of our trips: greenhouse gas emissions from air travel. Climate Care is an organisation which funds projects with the specific aim of making reductions in carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas concentrations, in order to reduce climate change.

The projects are either technology projects that reduce emissions at source or reforestation projects that sequester CO2 from the atmosphere. The technology projects, which are their main focus, can be either in renewable energy or in energy efficiency. Please see here for more information on their projects.

Whenever GVI and GVI CA staff take a flight, the emissions from the travel will be 'offset' through Climate Care, making our air travel climate neutral . This is done by funding projects across the world that reduce greenhouse gases through green energy or rainforest restoration. If you'd like more information see www.climatecare.org

All our volunteers are also offered the opportunity of offsetting their flights upon booking their GVI project or expedition.

Social Responsibility

All of the projects that GVI and GVI CA support directly benefit either the environment, the local community, or both. GVI provides volunteers with substantial pre departure information in order to ensure that all volunteers are culturally sensitive and respectful of local ways of life when in the field. The majority of all projects are at least partly staffed by host country personnel.

GVI's education ethos is two fold:

  1. Education and training of local communities in the host country – examples of this are adult and children’s language classes, environmental education or sustainable tourism practices.
  2. Education and training of individual volunteers so that they not only put their skills to good use in the field, but can also educate and inform friends, family and colleagues on their return home.

Alongside GVI's and GVI CA’s direct financial aid to its local partners, we run a National Scholarship Program which increases local capacity by giving free training Nationals who want to work in regional conservation, research or teaching posts. GVI and GVI CA offer up to 184 National Scholarships at a value of over 300,000 USD, per year!

CLICK HERE to see our achievements so far