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Backpacktivism in Peru (and Beyond!) with Operation Groundswell

July 20th, 2012

By Guest Blogger:  Justine Abigail Yu, Marketing Coordinator at Operation Groundswell

Backing group standing on mountain“Travel is the best way we have of rescuing the humanity of places, and saving them from abstraction and ideology”, travel writer Pico Iyer once wrote. Operation Groundswell (OG), a non-profit organization that offers travel volunteer opportunities around the globe, thrives on that idea and aims at building a global community of “backpacktivists”. What are “backpacktivists” you ask? They are backpackers with a purpose –a special breed of travellers who traverse the globe ethically and responsibly, consciously aware of their social, economic, and environmental impact.

This fall from September 18 to October 30, Operation Groundswell is traveling to Peru for an Amazon adventure and they are looking for adventurous and socially conscious youth to join them!

OG will be working out in Iquitos, the largest city in the world not accessible by roads, with local NGOs working on health and sanitation projects, including the building of proper drainage systems and environmentally friendly bathrooms. For six weeks, backpacktivists will combine their meaningful volunteer experiences with cultural exchange and off-the-beaten path adventure.

While everyone has heard of Machu Picchu and the Incan civilization, very few know that 60% of the country is the Amazon and the country itself contains 28 of the world’s 32 different climates. OG’s Amazon adventure will take backpacktivists to explore Peru’s natural playground of canyons, mountain ranges, glaciers, and beaches. But above all else, to experience the real Peru, OG’s backpacktivists’ will immerse themselves in local culture and cuisine, getting to know the real people who make Peru the beauty that it is.

Think you’re up for the challenges that volunteering and travel have to offer? Join Operation Groundswell for their six-week Amazon adventure in Peru. Applications are due by August 1st but space is limited so be sure to apply today!

Operation groundswell volunteers jumping on beach

Justine Abigail Yu is the Marketing Coordinator at Operation Groundswell. She specializes in social media strategy and aims to push the boundaries of technology to stir the conscience and to spur social change.

 
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