Abstract
This chapter explores the ever-evolving forms of stipended transnational volunteering (STV). When transnational volunteering is stipended or mandatory, it can be considered a hybrid between employment, volunteering, and/or compulsory service. This chapter provides a brief historical background, as well as contemporary trends of STV. The section on usable knowledge focuses on the provision of stipends and other financial supports to transnational volunteers, as well as how their rationale has become increasingly affected by the outcomes and priorities of donors or development projects. The section on future trends also discusses the slowly growing movement toward more South–North and South–South transnational volunteer placements. This chapter also explores research needed to better understand the differences between stipended volunteering for development cooperation and volunteering for intercultural understanding and global citizenship.
A key difference from other types of volunteering is the usually long-term nature of STV, which tends to range from four months up to two or more years (allowing for renewal of formal commitments).