Somebody I know went to Brazil, apparently spent ten minutes with some little girl in a favela, and posted this on her blog:
A great shot of this Brazilian lovechild and I playing in Rocinha.
We stopped at one of the peaks of Rocinha to catch a view of the boundless spread of shanty homes. Upon looking out, I made a dua - the specific words I don’t remember - but it was one of gratitude that left me resounding with humility. It was then that I felt little hands grasping my calves, and when I looked down I found her. This beautiful lovechild full of joy at my feet. I bent down to meet her eye to eye and she smiled at me, shining with her two front teeth missing, and started patting my hair. I returned the favor and started patting hers and we both broke out in laughter. She started bouncing with joy, so I grab both of her hands to bounce her higher - as captured in this picture. We shared so many laughs and for that moment brought joy to one another’s lives. My group had to leave so I walked her back to her family - her mother and two brothers; one naked, the other barely clothed, sitting under a tree with a styrofoam cooler of bottles water to sell.
When I kissed her bye, it hit me how different our worlds were. And how we never anyone like one another before. However we shared a moment full of laughs, love and divine joy. And for that I will never forget her.
(also I don't think "lovechild" means what she thinks it means...)
I don't think this is a horrible thing. Why is it worse than volunteering in the US, at a local place? I'm working hard to get my kids to understand the joy of volunteering and giving back. I could definitely see us doing a family trip like this when they are teenagers.
These are some of my main problems with it: -Usually the volunteering being done is building things, "digging wells", visiting orphanages, etc. Locals can build their own things, they don't need a team of untrained American high schoolers to come in and build a school that will collapse in 5 years. It would be better for the money you would spend on a trip to go towards purchasing local supplies and training or employing locals to build those things. -Visiting orphanages, who is screening the visitors? There was a recent story about a volunteer abusing children at an orphanage. Or the kids just have a constant turnover of randoms coming through to play with them (gawk at them), it seems like that could worsen some attachment issues. It would be better for such trip money to be spent hiring locals to be like daycare employees and keep the children connected to that community. -People do this to expand their world view, by seeing how people live in poor countries. It makes them feel better and enriches their life, but not necessarily the lives in the community they visited. It can also turn into 'poverty tourism'.
Here's a little essay I skimmed that touches on some more points: blog post
I understand your points. I don't think any of us can judge the motivations of another. If I volunteer to work with the homeless in NY, it's not because I want to gawk at them, it's because I want to help them. Helping people in a different country would have the same motivation for me. I think it's just too much generalization to say "This is bad. Don't do it."
I understand your points. I don't think any of us can judge the motivations of another. If I volunteer to work with the homeless in NY, it's not because I want to gawk at them, it's because I want to help them. Helping people in a different country would have the same motivation for me. I think it's just too much generalization to say "This is bad. Don't do it."
Ok then, source it out. Give concrete instances where taking teenagers on a trip to gawk at the impoverished enriches anyone other than the teenagers.
I just heard this story on NPR. It goes more into depth on how this can be done the right way. I don't think it is entirely a joke/bad idea that this thread is making out it out to be.
I'm not going to necessarily criticize the intentions of people going on these trips. Many of them probably genuinely believe they're helping (and there are lots of people out there leading them to believe this). But the issue is that they've failed to think critically about what this is really doing for the people they're trying to help and is this really the best way to help them?
Although I think it would be just desserts for wealthy folks from other countries to come here and "help" with the American poor. I wonder how well that would go over?
Although I think it would be just desserts for wealthy folks from other countries to come here and "help" with the American poor. I wonder how well that would go over?
Did you ever watch that BBC Panorama on poverty in America? There is an international health aid organization that came to the US to help people in need of basic medical and dental care. One of the doctors was like "yeah usually we're in developing countries, but people here really need us."
Although I think it would be just desserts for wealthy folks from other countries to come here and "help" with the American poor. I wonder how well that would go over?
There is a company that was doing poverty tourism in... NYC I think? Something like that. Wealthy europeans were paying for the tour.
Although I think it would be just desserts for wealthy folks from other countries to come here and "help" with the American poor. I wonder how well that would go over?
Did you ever watch that BBC Panorama on poverty in America? There is an international health aid organization that came to the US to help people in need of basic medical and dental care. One of the doctors was like "yeah usually we're in developing countries, but people here really need us."
I'm not surprised. I'm glad they can help!
But boo on America for allowing this situation to occur in the first place.
Post by downtoearth on Jul 31, 2014 14:43:05 GMT -5
I have heard of some instances where volunteer/tourism is good: doctors without borders, engineers without borders, a program that IBM does to send business and technology experts to 3rd world countries to help a start-up, small company get their business practices up to speed, etc.
But the Christian ones that send high school and untrained adults to help at orphanages and such get a wicked side-eye from me. Yes, there is value in spending your vacation $$ to see how a good portion of the world lives and how different it is and high school/college are idealistic times where you think you can make the world better by all your small choices, so that is good to harness, but I see no reason to spread religion to other people.
As for the affluent padding their kids' resumes while giving them an experience, I'm not for that, but I also don't mind if their money for that experience ends up in a community that needs it (and that community, obviously, knows how to get more $$ from this stuff, right?).
Although I think it would be just desserts for wealthy folks from other countries to come here and "help" with the American poor. I wonder how well that would go over?
There is a company that was doing poverty tourism in... NYC I think? Something like that. Wealthy europeans were paying for the tour.
There are a lot of colleges/universities that offer social justice/awareness weekend experiences in inner cities. I know a couple people who have led those - kids on the street for a night to gain insight.
Also I think America as a whole benefits when more of its citizens, especially the young citizens, travel abroad to get a sense of conditions and life outside the US bubble. These young people are tomorrow's leaders and when they can make decisions about the fate of our country and it's relationship with others, maybe they will make better choices than the leaders of today (eg immigration, monetary aid, military presence, etc).
Post by ChillyMcFreeze on Jul 31, 2014 14:47:30 GMT -5
@crazylucky it can be just as bad when people do it in the U.S. Like after every major disaster when people send truckloads of teddy bears and candy and flowers. Their motivation is fine, but they're diverting resources (even things as simple as storage space--space is finite) away from things that community really needs. So we all need to take a step back and look at our motivations and then see if they really pan out in the way we intend, or if they further burden that community.
I'm not going to necessarily criticize the intentions of people going on these trips. Many of them probably genuinely believe they're helping (and there are lots of people out there leading them to believe this). But the issue is that they've failed to think critically about what this is really doing for the people they're trying to help and is this really the best way to help them?
I will cop to going on 2 church trips as a teenager where I did unskilled labor that could have been done by local residents. I was 14 and wanted to make the world a better place. I think I had good intentions, but that doesn't mean there weren't negative consequences to those actions.
I would do things very differently if I did them over again. And I intend to do things differently with my children.
Good intentions don't negate poor outcomes, which is why it's important to educate people about stuff like this.
I have heard of some instances where volunteer/tourism is good: doctors without borders, engineers without borders, a program that IBM does to send business and technology experts to 3rd world countries to help a start-up, small company get their business practices up to speed, etc.
But the Christian ones that send high school and untrained adults to help at orphanages and such get a wicked side-eye from me. Yes, there is value in spending your vacation $$ to see how a good portion of the world lives and how different it is and high school/college are idealistic times where you think you can make the world better by all your small choices, so that is good to harness, but I see no reason to spread religion to other people.
As for the affluent padding their kids' resumes while giving them an experience, I'm not for that, but I also don't mind if their money for that experience ends up in a community that needs it (and that community, obviously, knows how to get more $$ from this stuff, right?).
I don't consider things like Doctors without Borders to be voluntourism. It's not tourism - it's actual aid. They go over there to bring specific skills that are needed in that community. It's set up for the benefit of the community, not the benefit of the people going. That's very different from "let's send some high school kids over to dig wells and they can see some poor people while they're at it."
Like for example. Those stupid ass holes on the border protesting the kids coming in? I wonder if they would be so vehemently xenophobic if they had spent a summer in Guatamala digging a well rather than illicitly drinking miller lite while sun baking in a inner tube in some river listening to def leopard?
Post by lasagnasshole on Jul 31, 2014 14:58:59 GMT -5
I actually think this is an issue where tone matter immensely.
There will always be some people who don't care what you say and who do what they want. But I have known a fair number of people who have done a well-intentioned but misguided trip. I think starting the conversation as, "I know you want to help and think that's great, but here are some problematic unintended consequences from this plan" instead of, "You are a stupid religious zealot who exploits brown people" is important
Some of them might fall into the latter category, but you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
P.S. - Do you really catch more flies with honey than vinegar? Because I keep using apple cider vinegar to catch fruit flies.
I have heard of some instances where volunteer/tourism is good: doctors without borders, engineers without borders, a program that IBM does to send business and technology experts to 3rd world countries to help a start-up, small company get their business practices up to speed, etc.
But the Christian ones that send high school and untrained adults to help at orphanages and such get a wicked side-eye from me. Yes, there is value in spending your vacation $$ to see how a good portion of the world lives and how different it is and high school/college are idealistic times where you think you can make the world better by all your small choices, so that is good to harness, but I see no reason to spread religion to other people.
As for the affluent padding their kids' resumes while giving them an experience, I'm not for that, but I also don't mind if their money for that experience ends up in a community that needs it (and that community, obviously, knows how to get more $$ from this stuff, right?).
I don't consider things like Doctors without Borders to be voluntourism. It's not tourism - it's actual aid. They go over there to bring specific skills that are needed in that community. It's set up for the benefit of the community, not the benefit of the people going. That's very different from "let's send some high school kids over to dig wells and they can see some poor people while they're at it."
My professional development goals would disagree that engineers without borders isn't mostly volunteer/tourism, but maybe it's set up different from doctors without borders. Engineers without borders helps a company and the engineers to get credits toward professional development and they often take over college-aged or new engineers-in-training to do the work and then the engineers just review the designs. So it's still a bit touristy, provides benefits the individuals, and the work is done by unpaid volunteers.
I'm guessing doctor's without borders is set up different.
Like for example. Those stupid ass holes on the border protesting the kids coming in? I wonder if they would be so vehemently xenophobic if they had spent a summer in Guatamala digging a well rather than illicitly drinking miller lite while sun baking in a inner tube in some highly saline/unusable river that will eventually be unsanitary drinking water for another country listening to def leopard?
Like for example. Those stupid ass holes on the border protesting the kids coming in? I wonder if they would be so vehemently xenophobic if they had spent a summer in Guatamala digging a well rather than illicitly drinking miller lite while sun baking in a inner tube in some highly saline/unusable river that will eventually be unsanitary drinking water for another country listening to def leopard?
I actually think this is an issue where tone matter immensely.
There will always be some people who don't care what you say and who do what they want. But I have known a fair number of people who have done a well-intentioned but misguided trip. I think starting the conversation as, "I know you want to help and think that's great, but here are some problematic unintended consequences from this plan" instead of, "You are a stupid religious zealot who exploits brown people" is important
Some of them might fall into the latter category, but you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
P.S. - Do you really catch more flies with honey than vinegar? Because I keep using apple cider vinegar to catch fruit flies.
OMG, thank you. This is one of my biggest pet peeves.
You do not see TFA volunteers parading around pictures of them with little Johnny in Appalachia. But if the kid isn't white, it's a photo op!
Throw in some ridiculous commentary like, "His spirit was sooooo beautiful." and I will unfriend you.
Somebody I know went to Brazil, apparently spent ten minutes with some little girl in a favela, and posted this on her blog:
A great shot of this Brazilian lovechild and I playing in Rocinha.
We stopped at one of the peaks of Rocinha to catch a view of the boundless spread of shanty homes. Upon looking out, I made a dua - the specific words I don’t remember - but it was one of gratitude that left me resounding with humility. It was then that I felt little hands grasping my calves, and when I looked down I found her. This beautiful lovechild full of joy at my feet. I bent down to meet her eye to eye and she smiled at me, shining with her two front teeth missing, and started patting my hair. I returned the favor and started patting hers and we both broke out in laughter. She started bouncing with joy, so I grab both of her hands to bounce her higher - as captured in this picture. We shared so many laughs and for that moment brought joy to one another’s lives. My group had to leave so I walked her back to her family - her mother and two brothers; one naked, the other barely clothed, sitting under a tree with a styrofoam cooler of bottles water to sell.
When I kissed her bye, it hit me how different our worlds were. And how we never anyone like one another before. However we shared a moment full of laughs, love and divine joy. And for that I will never forget her.
(also I don't think "lovechild" means what she thinks it means...)
No. This did not happen. You are a write for The Onion and you just made it up, didn't you? Please? I refuse to believe this really happened!
Somebody I know went to Brazil, apparently spent ten minutes with some little girl in a favela, and posted this on her blog:
A great shot of this Brazilian lovechild and I playing in Rocinha.
We stopped at one of the peaks of Rocinha to catch a view of the boundless spread of shanty homes. Upon looking out, I made a dua - the specific words I don’t remember - but it was one of gratitude that left me resounding with humility. It was then that I felt little hands grasping my calves, and when I looked down I found her. This beautiful lovechild full of joy at my feet. I bent down to meet her eye to eye and she smiled at me, shining with her two front teeth missing, and started patting my hair. I returned the favor and started patting hers and we both broke out in laughter. She started bouncing with joy, so I grab both of her hands to bounce her higher - as captured in this picture. We shared so many laughs and for that moment brought joy to one another’s lives. My group had to leave so I walked her back to her family - her mother and two brothers; one naked, the other barely clothed, sitting under a tree with a styrofoam cooler of bottles water to sell.
When I kissed her bye, it hit me how different our worlds were. And how we never anyone like one another before. However we shared a moment full of laughs, love and divine joy. And for that I will never forget her.
(also I don't think "lovechild" means what she thinks it means...)
No. This did not happen. You are a write for The Onion and you just made it up, didn't you? Please? I refuse to believe this really happened!
Although I think it would be just desserts for wealthy folks from other countries to come here and "help" with the American poor. I wonder how well that would go over?
They made a movie based on that. He shared his culture with Daniel so generously.
Although I think it would be just desserts for wealthy folks from other countries to come here and "help" with the American poor. I wonder how well that would go over?
They made a movie based on that. He shared his culture with Daniel so generously.
There was also that semi-documentary on volunteer/tourism where a young prince goes to the US to live like a commoner and find someone who will love him for him and not his money/status. Remember?
You don't have to go to Africa to get outside the bubble. I'd be willing to bet there's bubble-bursting opportunities within 50 miles of every home in America.
You don't have to go to Africa to get outside the bubble. I'd be willing to bet there's bubble-bursting opportunities within 50 miles of every home in America.
I agree that there are parts of America worthy of seeing. But that doesn't change the fact that international travel for Americans can be an eye opening experience that may improve the way this country operates on an international level.
You don't have to go to Africa to get outside the bubble. I'd be willing to bet there's bubble-bursting opportunities within 50 miles of every home in America.
I agree that there are parts of America worthy of seeing. But that doesn't change the fact that international travel for Americans can be an eye opening experience that may improve the way this country operates on an international level.
My point is more that their efforts may be better served at home before they go traipsing around the globe performing essentially pointless tasks. Volunteering IMO is often best started by focusing on your own backyard and community. Walk before you run is what I'm getting at.
You don't have to go to Africa to get outside the bubble. I'd be willing to bet there's bubble-bursting opportunities within 50 miles of every home in America.
I agree that there are parts of America worthy of seeing. But that doesn't change the fact that international travel for Americans can be an eye opening experience that may improve the way this country operates on an international level.
Can't you get that from traveling abroad and volunteering at home though? Is unskilled labor in another country a crucial part?