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Potential problems with volunteering-as-tourism programs include: | Potential problems with volunteering-as-tourism programs include: | ||
* Creating one-off projects which have little long-term impact. | * Creating one-off projects which have little long-term impact - "development by monument." | ||
* Forgetting that volunteers are NOT free - they take time and resources to administer. | * Forgetting that volunteers are NOT free - they take time and resources to administer. | ||
* Giving things away creates [[dependence]]; as with any form of [[subsidy]], there is a danger of [[disempowering]] the people we intend to help. | * Giving things away creates [[dependence]]; as with any form of [[subsidy]], there is a danger of [[disempowering]] the people we intend to help. | ||
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* Forgetting to make the rest of the trip responsible, from checking who owns the hotels to buying [[carbon offsets]]. | * Forgetting to make the rest of the trip responsible, from checking who owns the hotels to buying [[carbon offsets]]. | ||
* Fostering [[paternalism]] - the idea that "we privileged people from rich countries" can come in and fix things. | * Fostering [[paternalism]] - the idea that "we privileged people from rich countries" can come in and fix things. | ||
* Thinking that good intentions are enough. They are definitely not - | * Thinking that [[good intentions]] are enough. They are definitely not - good intentions can have disastrous outcomes. | ||
== See also == | |||
* [[Admitting failure]] | |||
== External links == | == External links == | ||
* [http://informationincontext.typepad.com/good_intentions_are_not_e/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right.html Voluntourism: What could go wrong when trying to do right?] | * [http://informationincontext.typepad.com/good_intentions_are_not_e/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right.html Voluntourism: What could go wrong when trying to do right?] | ||
* [http://goodintents.org/aid-debates/poverty-tourism The Poverty Tourism Debate: a compilation post] | |||
* [http://www.utne.com/Politics/The-Dark-Side-of-Volunteer-Tourism-Voluntourism.aspx The Dark Side of Volunteer Tourism] | |||
* [http://stayingfortea.org/2010/08/17/poverty-tourism-a-debatein-need-of-typological-nuance/ Poverty Tourism: A Debate in Need of Typological Nuance] | |||
* [http://stayingfortea.org/2010/07/11/the-future-ofvoluntourism/ The Future of Voluntourism] | |||
{{stub}} | {{stub}} | ||
[[Category:Principles of development]] | [[Category:Principles of development]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Internships and volunteering]] | ||
Revision as of 17:29, 12 September 2011
Potential problems with volunteering-as-tourism programs include:
- Creating one-off projects which have little long-term impact - "development by monument."
- Forgetting that volunteers are NOT free - they take time and resources to administer.
- Giving things away creates dependence; as with any form of subsidy, there is a danger of disempowering the people we intend to help.
- Monitoring projects poorly or not at all (see Monitoring and evaluation).
- Giving unskilled volunteers jobs that require skills. Young volunteers may be brimming with confidence, but may not have the skills needed.
- Forgetting to make the rest of the trip responsible, from checking who owns the hotels to buying carbon offsets.
- Fostering paternalism - the idea that "we privileged people from rich countries" can come in and fix things.
- Thinking that good intentions are enough. They are definitely not - good intentions can have disastrous outcomes.