Policies and Codes of Conduct

LOTO team got to know each other in the field of international cooperation and then it has specialized in international volunteer programs and responsible tourism approaches. This page has been processed to share the fundamental principles that need to mark each departure and the essential information to be acquired to take distance from phenomenon such as “slum tourism”, “hero syndrome” and the most controversial shade of “volunturism”.

We firmly believe that volunteer experiences can be growth opportunities and chances to experience life as active and conscious citizens. Unfortunately, volunteer activities can sometimes generate more negative externalities than direct benefits: before deciding the destination and joining a social or environmental project, it is necessary to get informed and well trained, to better set concrete objectives and actions on-field. Last but not least, it is necessary to trust the association promoting the chased experience, in terms of backing and reliability.

❤ Please go through our Child Safeguarding Policy and our Code of Conduct to dive into responsible principles.

In opposition to the conventional idea of the volunteer leaving loaded of knowledge to transfer, LOTO trains volunteers and travellers on the issues of mutuality and interaction: through focused meetings, LOTO volunteers have the opportunity to deepen the context of the chosen project, to get prepared for the interaction with the beneficiaries and to assess concrete adaptions for a respectful inclusion, reviewing personal ambitions and expectations.

LOTO promotes, supports and shares with all its local Partners principles set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified in Italy on May 27 1991, with the Law n. 176. LOTO also undertakes to share and respect PSEAH - Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment, drawn up by the Italian Agency for International Cooperation, and to follow the guidelines promoted by Keeping Children Safe in the guide “Safeguarding Standards and how to implement them”.

🦒 Thanks to the engagement of our Partners, in Italy and abroad, we also send volunteers into projects born to protect natural ecosystems and wild species. As for all LOTO projects, we require a clean criminal records certificate and pending charges to all people involved to protect the host community and all beneficiaries, aligning our procedurs to the international regulations. Finally, not to be forgotten is the existence of projects exploiting the presence of wildlife to attract inexperienced people, who naively donate time and money to a network that compromises the conservation of species at risk of extinction. LOTO choose its Partners with attention, taking distance from the "false sanctuaries of nature" and inviting volunteers to deeply prepare themselves before leaving for a journey that will require their effort and commitment. Following what, on this page, has just been introduced, we suggest to all our readers to have a look at "Animals in Tourism" a valuable study written by Tourism Concern.

Consulting websites:

🌱 Aics

🌱 Ecpat

🌱 Aitr

🌱 Renzo Garrone Travel Blog, Ram Viaggi Incontro

🌱 Gender responsible tourism

🌱 Travindy & Tourism Concern Archive

🌱 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

🌱 Unep