This summer, I plan on traveling to Cambodia on a group volunteer project. I'll be spending about two weeks there with the other volunteers, working at orphanages, street outreach centers, and more. I'll also be doing street and documentary photography in order to raise awareness of the human rights crisis in Cambodia. In preparing for this trip, one of the main problems I encountered was finding funding sources - the entire project costs in lieu of four thousand dollars. I was hoping to get a scholarship that could help with the funding, but was unable to find one that give money to projects not organized by an academic institution. I thought perhaps I could get a grant, but discovered that grant awards are generally only given to official non-profit organizations, not to individuals like myself. Frustrated, I thought - why not create such a non-profit organization myself? An organization can collect funds far more easily than an individual. An organization specifically designed for people planning trips to volunteer abroad could assist such individuals with both funds and helpful information. Having been impressed by what I read about participatory democracy in Francesca Polletta's book, Freedom is an Endless Meeting, I decided to use its principles in determining how the planned organization would organize and function. The main principles I will be using are: -Personal involvement of each member in discussions, decisions, and activities, as opposed to the system used in representative democracy, where the involvement of the individual is often limited to voting for a representative. -Consensus. Instead of using the model of representative democracy, where decisions are primarily made by representatives, decisions will be made be made by the individuals themselves, and only through compromise and consensus, so everyone ends up agreeing with the final decision. -No authoritative leadership. Instead of having a single leader, like the presidential elections in representative democracy, a single person who has authority over the rest, all organization members will be considered equal. Some might naturally lead more than others, and some might take more initiative than others in organization and activity, but none has authority over an other. -Leadership development. Participatory democracy aims to develop all people into leaders, not just a select few. All people should be encouraged to develop their leadership abilities. Historically, participatory democracy is known primarily for its significant role in furthering human rights and civil rights. For instance, SDS (Students for a Democratic Society), an organization mostly operating in the 60s and using participatory democracy, is particularly well-known for its work in the civil rights movement and the anti-war movement. Another such organization, SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), is known for being one of the principle organization of the American civil rights movement of the 60s. I believe the non-profit organization I am planning fights for the same things that these, and other, historical participatory democracy groups have fought for - equal rights and opportunities for all beings. In my own volunteer trip to Cambodia, I will be working to further the rights of Cambodian children - much as the students of SNCC worked for the rights of blacks to vote. Every type of volunteer project is, in some way, fighting for human rights - whether it's something direct like working with Cambodian children in their home country, or something seemingly almost unrelated, like protecting an endangered species, which may, in turn, lead to an impoverished area to become a popular tourist destination. The next part will focus on how participatory democracy can help my organization achieve its goals. If you enjoyed this post, please rate it and check out the rest of my blog!