If you want to know where there is conflict around the world, Wikipedia has compiled a list which is divided into major wars and other conflicts.
There are twelve areas of the world bracketed in the major war category according to the website. Eight out of the twelve have been going on for more than five years.
The oldest of those wars has been raging in Columbia since 1964, which is why you should avoid the region and volunteer in Costa Rica, if you have been considering doing such work in Central or South America.
The root of the war in the conflict in Columbia is known as La Violencia. The Violence as it is interpreted in English is a period of civil war in the Colombian countryside between the country’s Conservative Party and the Colombian Liberal Party from 1948 to 1958.
The conflict was triggered by the assassination of the populist political leader Jorge Eliecer Gaitan. However the reasons for the continued fighting today vary, depending on which military group is voicing their grievances.
The FARC and a few other guerrilla groups claim to be trying to uphold the rights of the poor in Columbia against government violence. They also claim that they are trying to provide social justice through socialism. The Colombian government on the other hand, claims to be fighting to keep order and stability and to preserve the interests of its citizens, its private companies and multinational co operations. Finally there are also in the country paramilitary groups who claim to be reacting against the apparent threats posed by the different guerrilla movements. Fatalities from the conflict are estimated to fall between 50,000 to 200,000.
If you are thinking of volunteer work, volunteer in Costa Rica. Columbia at the moment is a far cry from Costa Rica which has no army and has enjoyed decades of peace. Volunteer in Costa Rica for the experience of a lifetime.
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