Pathfinders Project: A New Global Aid Initative

A new project has been launched by the humanist charity Foundation Beyond Belief to send people on year long service projects to nations around the world. The initiative is called the Pathfinders Project, and Foundation Beyond Belief is using this project to hopefully be the launching pad for a humanist Peace Corps style organization in the future.

My good blogging friend, and blogging inspiration, Godless Poutine, was recently given the opportunity to interview one of the organizers, Conor Robinson.

Here's a few excerpts from the interview:

The original idea behind Pathfinders Project was to build a foundation for open interaction with locals by working alongside them on projects that directly benefited their communities. By sharing in their work, I hoped also to share in other aspects of their daily lives.  

You might say that Pathfinders Project hasn't achieved much yet, since we won't embark until July. Then again, Pathfinders Project has built a service program that is now sponsored by Foundation Beyond Belief and endorsed by the Humanist Community Project at Harvard. We aim to build from that platform toward a permanent Humanist Service Corps, which will become an ongoing program of Foundation Beyond Belief and will draw nonreligious volunteers from around the world.

Godless Poutine asked if this imitative is only for the non-religious, here's what Conor had to say:

CR: Pathfinders Project is for nonreligious volunteers, but it does involve interfaith work. Our partner organizations are not necessarily nonreligious organizations, and the vast majority of the people alongside whom we work will certainly be religious. This is one of the aspects of Pathfinders Projects that excites me most. As I explained above, one of the reasons I want to engage in service as I travel is because I believe it will allow me to connect with people of diverse religious and cultural backgrounds who might otherwise hesitate to open their lives to me.

Read more of the interview at Godless Poutine's blog, and make sure to check out the Pathinfinder's Project website for more information.