By Paula Cantor

Do you or any of your loved ones want to see the world, but always thought it would be too difficult or too expensive? Are you, or someone you know, the type of person who wants to see other places, but does not like the commercialism, or even at times, exploitation and destruction of culture that appears in places where tourism reigns?

Are you a "people person" who wants to experience other cultures, not just gawk at their castles and holy places, wander their museums and take pictures of their scenery? Would you like peace on the planet?

A person who is attracted by any of the above questions can become part of an international network of "peace camps," "international work camps," or "international voluntary service projects," one of which came close to home on July 26, here in Mattapan. Seven volunteers from seven different countries, between the ages of 24 and 46, lived at my home on Clearwater Drive in Mattapan for three weeks. A different group lived in my home in 2004, yet another in 2002, and former camps have been housed at Spontaneous Celebrations in JP, other private homes and the Salvation Army since 1993.

This year's Boston Peace Camp, which is overseen by Volunteers for Peace, based in Belmont, Vermont, had two distinct types of projects. They worked with Boston Natural Areas Network, The Boston Nature Center, The Shangi'La Community Garden in Altmont Park, and The Department of Conservation and Recreation, doing clean-up, gardening and maintenance projects.

The volunteers also assisted with the DotArt (Dorchester Community Center for Visual Arts) summer program, teaching pizza making from scratch, bead making and supporting the teacher and the students with mask making and portrait-drawing classes. They even made up a quiz game with various questions about their countries, which the students enjoyed. The 15-18 year olds commented that they learned new things about Finland, France, Germany, Spain, South Korea, Italy, and Belgium and that it was very interesting. On the final day of the camp, the volunteers accompanied the students on a field trip to the Fogg Art Museum.

Dirk, a volunteer from Hanover, Germany, was pleasantly surprised by what he found in Boston.

"I had a totally different view of what Americans were like." he told me. "In Europe the mainstream media gives us a one-sided view of what America and American people are like. Here in Boston I have met a totally different side of America that I will bring home to tell my friends and also my students of English. I expected people to be friendly and kind, but I was not aware of the extent that so many Americans are actively involved in helping the community and making a change. The picture that the present government gives to the rest of the world is simply not a fair representation of what their country is about."

A conversation at the dinner table with a former board member of Volunteers for Peace and Jamaica Plain resident, Anne Kern, and Francois, the volunteer from Belgium, revealed a love of this kind of project because you never know who it will affect in the future.

Francois commented, "You cannot save the world in two or three weeks, but you can certainly get a glimpse of it. You get more understanding of the world around you, by meeting the local people, getting to know the culture of the host nationals, and by sitting around the dinner table with people from many different places."

Peace camps, and other voluntary service projects, make connections that ripple out, slowly changing people's minds and opening their eyes.

As a board member of VFP, an organizer and host of peace camps in Boston and Honduras, and as a former participant in international work camps in England, Germany, Turkey, Ghana and West Philly, I have been involved in the organization and the network of all the autonomous voluntary service project organizations since 1988. With wars all over the world, these programs grow and grow, and my own personal commitment never wavers.

A piece of me wants to relax from a long year of teaching at the Agassiz School in JP, but instead I have seven people sleeping in my basement, using my one shower. My commitment to peace camps is the belief in the mission and the outcome. It is one thing that keeps me connected to the rest of the world, hopeful and alive. The goal of fostering world peace moves slowly, while people are being helped with immediately fixable projects. Colleges, universities, and some high schools across the country are now calling for "community service credits" or "voluntary service credits." These policy makers are beginning to understand that young people today need to have a broader experience to be better people. Not only do they benefit from a different insight into their own country, but also into all countries.

The world is getting smaller. With the Internet, young people are already getting a much wider view. International voluntary service projects are a way for young people and students, as well as anyone who does not mind semi-roughing it, to experience life outside the box. For students, these projects can also cover "community service credits" which they may need in order to graduate.

Great thanks to all the people who provided dinner parties for the volunteers and personal donations: Bella Luna, El Oriental de Cuba, Pat's and James Gate, The Harvest Coop, Shaw's, Trader Joe's, and City Feed and Supply for donating food and lunches. Special thanks to Maggie Smith, Joann Whitehead, Tim Cook, Lesley MacWeeney and Julia at DotArt, Simona Perry, George Anastos, and the teens of DotArt. But a special thanks to Francois, Dirk, Catherine, Anne, Ernesto, Gemma and Hailie who made it so easy to have seven extra people in my home.

The organization VFP (Volunteers for Peace) can be found at vfp.org.

Paula Cantor is a resident of Clearwater Drive in Mattapan.