The Reality of Voluntourism: Change Takes More Than Good Intentions
 

The Reality of Voluntourism: Change Takes More Than Good Intentions
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A much-needed debate about voluntourism is taking off on the web. It includes voices from the industry, academics, travel professionals, and volunteers themselves. From “The White Tourist’s Burden” to “Lions, Zebras, and African Children,” at the heart of these stories is the **tion of inexperienced volunteers who use their privilege to go abroad for their own egos, and who are doing more harm than good on the ground.

The critiques are valid: I’ve seen many of the examples cited in the debate too many times in the field. From crumbling libraries to brothel rescues gone wrong, good intentions can create a lot of problems for communities. In fact, I can list many times where things went wrong and far fewer times when things actually worked out the way we initially planned. Read more...

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