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There are many words to describe volunteering and voluntary action, reflecting the many forms of people helping each other survive and prosper over the challenges of their time and place. Whether it is trabalho voluntario in Brazil, benevolat and volontariat in France, gotong royong in Indonesia or harambee in Kenya, supporting each other for mutual survival is a key ingredient to community the world over. In this issue we look at a very ancient, yet still modern, form of community interaction and service to each other that, even though it is no longer extensively practiced, is still is a relevant way for people to be involved in service to each other.

The barter of goods and services has probably been practiced in groups of people since the beginning. Early civilizations used barter as a form of currency before money existed. For example, farmers traded cattle for grain or helped one another build a barn or house. They had a system based on trust and reciprocity that was a part of their community: "I do this for you now and you will help me when I need it later." Social ties were established. The value of what was traded depended on the people involved in the exchange. It was a more informal and individualized method of trade.

 

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This article was published in e-Volunteerism: The Electronic Journal of the Volunteer Community. Subscribe now to access all the articles.