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CUSO Trains Canadians for Volunteer Placements Overseas

October 27, 2004 OTTAWA - CUSO, Canada's largest overseas volunteer-sending organization, is training 23 new "cooperants" for international development placements around the globe. Twenty-three Canadians with diverse work and life experiences will meet in Ottawa from October 25-29 in preparation for a two-year volunteer placement abroad. These Canadians will soon be working with CUSO's overseas partners in Jamaica, Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Vanuatu, South Africa, Nigeria, Lao and Indonesia.

"The cooperants will be building bridges with people around the world and will contribute to
international understanding. The impact of cooperation, in a world of increasing conflict, is extremely
important," explains Claire Dansereau, Executive Director of CUSO. "The opportunity to live and work
in a different culture will enrich their lives forever. They will also learn invaluable new skills that will
enrich their communities here in Canada when they return." This group of volunteers will be working
on a wide diversity of projects which include literacy programs, gender violence education, disaster
preparedness, model forests, HIV/AIDS awareness, water management, and cultural survival -- just to
name a few.

The enthusiastic group is attending a seven-day Orientation Session in Ottawa this week in preparation
for their overseas work experience. The Orientation Session offers insight into cultural nuances and
adaptation, provides health advice, explores the dynamics of power and privilege, compares different
development approaches, and offers tips for families going abroad.

CUSO is a non-profit organization working for global social justice since 1961. Over 14,000 Canadians
have worked with CUSO partner organizations worldwide for 2-year volunteer work placements. There
are currently over 300 CUSO cooperants and interns volunteering in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin
America and the Caribbean. To learn more about how to support CUSO's work or to see a current
listing of our overseas placement opportunities, visit www.cuso.org.

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For more information, or to set-up an interview with our departing cooperants, contact:

Carole Ouellette
Communications Coordinator
CUSO
Phone: 613-829-7445 ext. 212
Email: carole.ouellette@cuso.ca

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