The Fortunate Few: IVS Volunteers from Asia to the Andes

The Fortunate Few tells the stories of the men and women who volunteered their time and skills through International Voluntary Services (IVS) to improve lives of others in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Nearly one hundred of these volunteers speak about their service years and the impact their work had on their futures and the people they served, often at great cost to themselves. Fifteen of the more than fifty IVS volunteers and staff that also served with the U.S. Peace Corps are contributors to this book. Ten volunteers died during their term of service, most during the conflict that raged across Southeast Asia during the war in Vietnam. These men and woman countered The Ugly American image and many are able to see the effects of their work today. Anyone interested in the history of American development efforts - from the Thomasites' work in the Philippines to large scale development projects to small self-help initiatives - will value this book in their libraries. The volunteers' stories record the rewards of volunteerism and the history of how IVS effectiveness led to the creation of other international volunteer agencies, including the Peace Corps. "The Fortunate Few chronicles the special place that IVS occupies in the history of the volunteer movement. It is essential reading for anyone working in the humanitarian field, all of whom owe a debt of gratitude to this remarkable organisation." Alicia Silva Ritchie, Former Senior Manager, Inter-American Development Bank

"IVS placed almost 1,400 idealistic young people in development projects in forty countries. The IVS story as an organization, its various programs, and its historical shifts is complex and has yet to be told in full. This volume is an inspiring step in the right direction." Paul Rodell, Professor of History, Georgia Southern University