Will going volunteering save the world? - reading list

Every year we receive hundreds of applications and enquiries about going on mission. Most often they take the form of a message "...how can I go to Africa with you?".

We believe in the good intentions of everyone who wants to get involved with us and help. We encourage you to apply and become a permanent member of the Foundation.

Unfortunately, a lack of distinction between a tourist trip with volunteering elements rings out in many news stories and the real, effective development aid we provide . As the Centre for Medical Charity, we are not organisation a volunteer and we caution you against such practices. We are also committed to helping on the ground, training volunteers before they go, partnering with reputable organisations and responding to actual community needs. We are transparent in our activities and do not charge for the trip.

What is voluntourism? Why do so many people fall victim to it? What harm does it do?

The main objection to voluntourism is that it fits into the white saviour syndrome. This term refers to actions taken by white people who feel they have to save the world and know best how to do so. In projectsvolunteering , this manifests itself in the idea that local people are incapable of tackling the challenges or problems in their communities and only the presence and assistance of a white person 'from the West' is able to bring about positive change. A central pillar of voluntourism is the divide between knowing better, serving the resources of 'us' and needing the help of distant 'others'. It was central to the colonial system, allowing Europeans to justify interference in the lives and affairs of conquered societies. The actors and costumes changed, but the power relations and the system of producing difference and orientalising the 'other' remained. In the role of the institutions maintaining the colonial order, governments and armed forces were replaced by tour operators, volunteers, development agencies and international aid programmes. Volunteers sent from the West are largely faced with the task of repairing problems that have grown out of the damage that colonialism brought with it. Instead of engaging with structural issues such as tackling the negative effects of climate change, inequitable food or tax systems, they are offered opportunities to patch holes by painting walls in hospitals that lack doctors or building basketball courts.

fragment from https://www.pah.org.pl/wolonturystyka/, access 09.2024

We encourage everyone to educate themselves on the subject of ethical aid, voluntourism. We have compiled a list of recommended films, books, articles and other resources below.

Films

1.      On Kenya, missions and helping wisely - Remedium

2.      When tourism crosses ethical boundaries - Foreign Division

3.      Podcast Tolerance is not enough - PAH

Articles

1.      Will going to volunteer in Africa* save the world? - PAH

2.      Voluntourism. A harmful business built on good intentions - Anna Mikulska

3.      Voluntourism - how much help is there in a tourist adventure? - Alicja Nowaczyk

Books

1.      Caravan of crisis. Behind the scenes of the humanitarian aid industry. - Linda Polman

2.      Ours to Explore: Privilege, Power and Paradox of Voluntourism - Pippa Bidle