User:TheKingSloth/be bold

Voluntourism
Question : What are the ethical implications of companies selling "relief tourism" packages to affluent western consumers?

Introduction
Western consumers, often students, engage in activity known as "voluntourism" or relief tourism. Companies like GO ECO, Global Citizen Year and WWOOF have volunteers pay to have an opportunity to visit countries in need of aid and help the community through short term development projects. These projects can range from a few days to several months, ranging from housing projects to community economic development efforts. Though this seems to be righteous in nature, there are serious ethical concerns raised when companies from countries in the global north profit from disaster relief and humanitarian aid projects in the developing world.

Voluntourism in the media
Madonna released the documentary "I am Because We Are" in 2008. In the documentary Madonna claimed that over a million children were "living in the streets, in abandoned buildings, and are being abducted, kidnapped, and raped." These claims were later proven to not be substantiated,

Preliminary conclusion
While there is benefit to voluntourism, It is, at best, palliative relief for systemic issues within developing countries, and at worst an exploitative practice that propagates skewed western ideologies and promotes inaccurate and damaging impressions of disenfranchised communities. The profit generation of western companies through voluntourism gives a perverse incentive to keep developing areas in situations where they are dependent on aid.

List of Resources

http://theconversation.com/volunteer-tourism-whats-wrong-with-it-and-how-it-can-be-changed-86701

https://aliving.co/travel/post/top-10-fantastic-voluntourism-organizations-for-your-best-impact#YgrCgr3eDDXfCsLw.97

https://www.worldlyadventurer.com/should-you-pay-to-volunteer/

https://www.gvi.co.uk/how-is-my-money-spent/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrZMwi0g-hc