The former Institute for International Cooperation and Development (IICD), now One World Center, is a private nonprofit organization in the United States with headquarters located in Dowagiac, Michigan. Their stated purpose is to train volunteers for humanitarian projects In South and Central America and sub-Saharan Africa. They are affiliated with Tvind, a network of schools, aid agencies and commercial businesses based in Denmark, as part of Tvind's "DRH Movement".
The IICD has been the subject of several critical media reports in which former students recalled substandard living conditions, unreasonable work hours, bullying, and even a "cult-like" atmosphere. Volunteers have also reported receiving little to no training, being instead required to perform fundraising activities for the school and to labor in Tvind-owned businesses under the guise of raising money for their overseas projects. Others recalled the aid programs themselves being fraught with mismanagement and even disastrous results.
References
- Neldon, Ambrosia. "IICD becomes One World Center" (5 November 2013). Leader Publications (Niles, Michigan). Retrieved May 2015.
- Cheshes, Jay (October 2000). "Mission Control". Boston Magazine
- Eng, Monica; Jackson, David (13 February 2004). "Humanitarian work turns into servitude", The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 2012.
- Willis, Jessica (11 February 2007). "Questions in Williamstown" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, The Berkshire Eagle (Pittsfield, Massachusetts). Retrieved February 2015.