Goals

SIMPLICITY
Traveling to the developing world, we consciously choose to leave behind what we�re used to in the United States - things like email, cell phones and TV, and familiar concepts of time, control and power. Maybe we find out just how "attached" to those things we are� ISI may give us a different perspective and free us to examine in a new way our own lifestyles: the ways that we see, judge and act in the world as well as our needs and desires, our values and our choices.

SOLIDARITY
ISI allows us to travel not just to see sights, but to immerse ourselves in another culture. It challenges us to "settle in" rather than just "travel through," to try to know and understand the perspectives of those we meet. The experience provides opportunities to grow and learn from the wisdom of our hosts, as well as to work alongside them to improve their situation not because we have "the right way" to do it, but because we�ve been blessed with the resources and have a responsibility to use them wisely.

SPIRITUALITY
Although most ISI trips are organized through faith-based organizations, this is not meant to be a sectarian religious experience. Rather, we hope it will meet each of us where we are on our spiritual journeys, however we define that. We make a conscious effort to reflect on our experiences in individual conversations and in a group setting, guided by a chaplain trained to facilitate this process. All are expected to participate openly and honestly in this process, which seeks to provide opportunities for insight and growth before, during, and following the trip itself.

SERVICE
With the concept of solidarity in mind, we serve in a spirit of partnership - of working alongside, of understanding each other. ISI seeks primarily to serve the needs of the community as community members define them. This involves, but is not limited to, medical service and the increasingly felt need for medical education about elementary hygiene, nutrition, and preventive health. However we serve, we strive for an exchange based on our common humanity, rather than on a have--have not or a giver--taker model.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Ideally, service should be coupled with a reflective approach to understanding unjust systems and structures which perpetuate the cycle of poverty. ISI emphasizes being aware of and discussing these factors, as well as seeking solutions on a systemic level. In addition to our direct service, which in a sense is necessarily just putting a "band-aid" on a gaping wound, we hope to begin or continue to walk the long, slow path of finding sustainable development solutions for those trapped by poverty and oppression.