Operation Groundswell is a non-profit organization that offers travel and community service experiences around the world. We aim to build a community of “backpacktivists” that are socially, environmentally and politically aware of their impact in the communities they travel to and live in.

HISTORY

They started as a group of friends with well-worn backpacks looking to find a more nuanced perspective of the world.

In 2006, they boarded a flight to Accra, Ghana to find answers to these questions. When they touched down, they were hit with a barrage of sights, sounds, and smells that shattered their preconceived notions of the developing world. Rather than stumbling into a destitute wasteland, they were greeted by a beautiful, bustling city, rich with culture and hospitality.

At the same time, however, they were confronted with extreme poverty that could not be ignored. They wanted to understand why global poverty plagues much of the world while billions of dollars are poured into development projects around the globe. They learned that governments, charities, and international institutions often push their agenda without consulting the communities they are ‘developing.’

They realized that a project has significantly higher impact if it is undertaken in collaboration with the community. Not as a handout, not as charity – but in solidarity.

They began talking to local NGOs and community leaders about what their real needs were. They created partnerships with local charities, community leaders, and local governments. They began building a program that didn’t just plop a volunteer into a project. Instead, they combined community service with an educational program that taught team members the context needed to understand local challenges before solving them.

From one pilot program to West Africa, they’ve grown to run a total of 162 programs to 18 countries around the world. They bring cool, caring people together who want to explore the world while actively shaping it. They’re sparking a movement of globally active and socially conscious backpackers. They call them backpacktivists.