also called social work

Any of various professional activities or methods concerned with providing social services (such as investigatory and treatment services or material aid) to disadvantaged, distressed, or vulnerable persons or groups. The field originated in the charity organizations in Europe and the U.S. in the late 19th century. The training of volunteer workers by these organizations led directly to the founding of the first schools of social work and indirectly to increased government responsibility for the welfare of the disadvantaged. Social service providers may serve the needs of children and families, the poor or homeless, immigrants, veterans, the mentally ill, the handicapped, victims of rape or domestic violence, and persons dependent on alcohol or drugs. Seealso welfare.

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The Austrian Service Abroad (Österreichischer Auslandsdienst) is a non-profit organization which was founded by Dr. Andreas Maislinger in 1998, created by section 12 (b) of the law for alternative services. It offers the possibility to substitute the 9-month domestic service with a 12-month service abroad. This is possible since 1992 and is based on an initiative by Andreas Maislinger. The service abroad (Auslandsdienst) can be done in three areas: memorial service (Gedenkdienst), peace service (Friedensdienst) and social service (Sozialdienst).

The Social Service

The social service supports the social and economic development of a country. It can be done at various placements or partner organisations. Austrian Service Abroad currently offers 69 placements for social service at 32 separate partner organisations (as of January 2004). Therefore it is the biggest organisation supporting young men in Austria to do their service abroad. The partner organisations are spread over 22 countries and 4 continents and have a multitude of tasks and aims.

Assignments

The placements are with projects for street children, educational projects and children's villages, projects to help the aged or handicapped, to provide medical care and to support homosexuals. Furthermore there are environmental projects and projects supporting economic development in third-world countries.

Partners

Argentina

* Buenos Aires - Center for homeless children and adolescents

Belgium

*Brussels - European Disability Forum

Bosnia and Herzegovina

*Sarajevo - Phoenix Initiative

Brasil

*Alagoinhas - Associacao Lar Sao Benedito

*Lauro de Freitas - Community Centre Christ Liberator

*Rio de Janeiro - Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)

China

* Qiqihar - China SOS Children's Village Association Bejing, Qiqihar city, Helongjiang Proviince und Yantai City, Shandong Province

Costa Rica

* La Gamba - Tropical Field Station La Gamba

* Puntarenas - Finca Sonador - Asociaicón de Cooperativas Europeas Longo Mai

* Puntarenas - Union de Amigos para la Protección del Ambiente (UNAPROA)

* San Isidro - Asociación Vida Nueva

Germany

* Marburg - Terra Tech

England

*London - Royal London Society for the Blind

Gabon

*Lambaréné - Medical Research Unit, Albert Schweitzer Hospital

Guatemala

* Quetzaltenango - Instituto de Formacion e Investigacion Municipal,

* Santa Rosita - Casa Hogar Estudiantil ASOL

India

* Auroville - Auroville Action Group (AVAG)

*Dharmshala - Nishtha, Nishtha - Rural Health, Education and Environment Centre

* Dharmshala - Tibetan Children´s Village:*Dharmshala - Tibetan Welfare Office

*Kerala - Mata Amritanandamayi Mission

Israel

*Jerusalem - St. Vinzenz-Ein Karem

Kenya

*Nairobi - Kenya Water for Health Organisation (KWAHO)

Nicaragua

*Granada - Fundación Casa de los tres mundos

*León - Campo Recreativo MILAVF

Norway

*Oslo - Jodisk Aldersbolig

Pakistan

* SOS children villages Pakistan http://www.sos.org.pk/ Karachi, Sialkot, Dodhial, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Lahore, Rawalpindi und Multan

Peru

*Huancayo - Unidad Territorial de Salud Daniel Alcides Carrión

*Lima - The information and education centre for the prevention of drug abuse (CEDRO)

Poland

*Kraków - Polska Akcja Humanitarna

Romania

*Iaşi - The hope of Romanian children

Russia

*Moscow - Together For Peace (TFP)

*Moscow - Centre for social development and self-help "perspective"

Czech Republic

*Prag - Jüdische Gemeinde

Uganda

*Fort Portal - Mountains of the Moon University (MMU)

* Kabale - Diözese Kabale - Bishops House

USA

*New York - Gay Men's Health Crisis

Belarus

*Minsk - Belarusian Children's Hospice

*Minsk - 'Dietski dom no. 6' - Kinderheim no.6

*Minsk - Kindergarten for Children with Special Needs

External links

• http://www.sozialdienst.at
• http://www.auslandsdienst.at