• Mission •

At HorizonCosmopolite, our mission is to bring together people of different cultures and to develop a lasting solidarity between them. Through our various internships and exchange programs, we promote the development of new attitudes, knowledge, and skills in order to encourage a society that is just, harmonious, and respectful of its environment.

We believe that educational intercultural exchange programs equip participants with the tools necessary for change in today’s global world. The programs help participants to develop the skills needed to make a positive contribution to society. With its insightful perspective on today’s society, HorizonCosmopolite has been working since 1997 to create a generation of global citizens who will be equipped to face tomorrow’s challenges. We believe this is the first step toward building a united, more just and more humane world.

By participating in an internship, an exchange, or studying abroad, you can begin to discover other cultures, learn new languages, acquire new skills, and gain work experience in a specific field.

By participating in one of our programs, you will gain experience, broaden your horizons, and open doors to future opportunities!

At HorizonCosmopolite we offer international educational programs, creating opportunities to travel to other countries in hopes of allowing participants to experience realities that are different from our own. Since the beginning, we have sent thousands of people to other countries.

Our approach guarantees that we will prepare you as best we can for this experience. Our personalized service ensures that before your departure you will have a thorough understanding of the program’s objectives and the culture of you host country. We think it is important that our participants do not overly “disrupt” the everyday routine of the host communities. Thus, we expect participants to succesfully integrate themselves in the community and to live like the local population as much as possible. When taking part in a program abroad, one needs to be aware that every action has an impact. We have to minimize that consequences.

If, on the other hand, you have specific skills and would like to put them to use, it is possible to develop a personalized program catered to your abilities.

 

Our Philosophy

Offer educational programs abroad for youth and adults who wish to learn more about themselves and another culture.

Work in partnership with organizations from other countries. The notion of partnership, for us, requires:

• Respect the manner in which these organizations function abroad. Notably with regards to the internal management and the hierarchy within the heart of these organizations.
• We do not impose our ways of functioning on our partners. They are independent. They themselves create the framework in which they are prepared to receive foreigners.

Support the work of the organizations that wish to welcome people from other countries. These organizations are willing to host participants and we are not forcing them to do so.

Prepare to our best abilities the participants going abroad. Our goal is:

• To avoid disrupting the local cultures. Knowing how to dress, how to behave, what is acceptable and what is not…even if it is sometimes difficult to agree, it is important to understand that it is up to us to adapt. The consequences of our actions and behaviours can be harmful to the host community.

We believe in bringing together people of different cultures. The ultimate goal is a more tolerant society, a respect for other cultures, and a deeper understanding of our planet and its inhabitants.

We believe that citizens of the global North must develop a better understanding of citizens in the South. In the current world context, it is up to citizens of the North to change their living habits to create a more just and fair world. Our participants are not going to necessarily help the local population, but they will learn, support, share, and contribute what they can.

We believe that all participants should pay for their food, shelter, and supervision. In the majority of the countries where we work, the host communities do not have the means to pay for a volunteer participant. Furthermore, the community has priorities that come before feeding a foreigner, taking care of him when he’s sick or dealing with his mood swings and issues! It is essential that the communities be well paid for the work they take on to host a participant. We do not believe that the people of the North should exploit the hospitality of the host communities. Expecting a host community to receive participants free of charge would show little respect for, sensitivity toward, and understanding of the realities faced by people of the South. Hosting a participant must have positive outcomes for the community and cannot solely benefit the participant.

We do not want the host organizations to be dependent on the participants. Our participants are not a central activity or focus in the communities, but rather an additional contribution. Many of our partners have a variety of activities and the hosting of volunteers is simply an additional one.

If we wish these exchanges to continue, maintaining good relationships between the people is essential and respect is fundamental. Everyone must come out a winner.