Mission
As an international non-profit organization, United Planet (UP) strives to create a world in which all people understand, respect, and support one another. United Planet's global network of leaders and volunteers fosters cross-cultural understanding and addresses shared challenges to unite the world in a community beyond borders. The underlying principle of our programs is the concept of Relational Diplomacy -- recognizing that the relationship between people of diverse backgrounds is the basic building block for uniting the world. United Planet’s innovative programs are designed to expose our common human bonds, generate respect and appreciation for our cultural, racial, and religious diversity, and enrich lives of our neighbors worldwide.
Our Approach
United Planet's holistic approach integrates international, local, and online initiatives to facilitate ongoing engagement. All United Planet programs create points of access for people of all cultures, nationalities, ages, and socio-economic classes to participate worldwide. Each program feeds into and builds momentum for the other.
Our programs include:
International
• International Volunteer Service- United Planet Quests: Through local partnerships, Quests provide meaningful volunteer experiences and support for communities in need in over 50 countries. In doing so, United Planet empowers people of all ages to form genuine cross-cultural relationships while making a direct impact on the world. Progrmas include: Short-Term Quests (1-12 weeks) and Long-Term Quests ( 6 months to 1 year). Volunteers can participate as individuals or in groups.
Local
• Cultural Awareness Project (CAP): CAP draws on the diversity of cultures and international experience that exists within local communities. By providing opportunities for people to come together and learn from each other's experiences and backgrounds, CAP promotes global understanding on a local level.
• United Planet Ambassador Clubs: UP Ambasssador Clubs inspire leadership, civic engagement, and international cooperation and empower people of all ages to become catalysts for change. This program places the tools for change in the hands of empowered global citizens at school and community clubs around the world.
• United Planet Community Development Projects : In partnership with local NGOs, United Planet undertakes sustainable projects that provide support for communities in need. For instance, UP and its partner in Guatemala, a shelter for abused women and their children, opened a Laundromat that brings in necessary revenue for the shelter, while financially empowering the women who reside there.
• United Planet Day: United Planet Day is an annual event held around the world that brings together local communities to celebrate and share their cultures and interconnectedness with the world. United Planet Day falls on the Autumn Equinox- a day on which the sun shines equally on all people on Earth.
Online
• Voices of Earth Community: Voices of Earth, UP Forum, UP Blogs, and UP Videos draw on the power of online technology, allowing people from every corner of the world to communicate and connect with the click of a mouse.
There are many ways to contribute to UP. You can make a donation to United Planet or directly to one of of our Country Funds. You can volunteer to give a CAP (Cultural Awareness Project) at a local school church, or community group. You can openly share information about your country, culture, and customs online in the Voices of Earth community. You can volunteer abroad in by particiapting in our Quest program. Please check out the following link for other ways to become a member of the United Planet Team.
