Comments on: Fielding Critiques On Luxury VolunTourism http://blog.voluntourism.org/?p=188 Answers To Your VolunTourism Questions & More Tue, 17 Aug 2010 18:00:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Christopher Hill http://blog.voluntourism.org/?p=188&cpage=1#comment-4445 Christopher Hill Sun, 15 Nov 2009 10:07:38 +0000 http://blog.voluntourism.org/?p=188#comment-4445 It is indeed a good thing that the debate is happening, and there are legitimate arguments on both sides. From my perspective, it largely boils down to: - is there ongoing consultation with the host communities to assess (1) if they would like to have volunteers, and if so (2) what their felt needs are (rather than imposing on the community what we feel should be done there) - are the host communities actually benefiting from the volunteers? This needs to be examined from a long-term perspective to see if a culture of dependence is being created, or a culture of skills learning and improved self-worth. It is hard work, and not all volunteer project providers get it right, which is where criticism, and, I believe, a Code of Practice is necessary. It is indeed a good thing that the debate is happening, and there are legitimate arguments on both sides.
From my perspective, it largely boils down to:
- is there ongoing consultation with the host communities to assess (1) if they would like to have volunteers, and if so (2) what their felt needs are (rather than imposing on the community what we feel should be done there)
- are the host communities actually benefiting from the volunteers? This needs to be examined from a long-term perspective to see if a culture of dependence is being created, or a culture of skills learning and improved self-worth.

It is hard work, and not all volunteer project providers get it right, which is where criticism, and, I believe, a Code of Practice is necessary.

]]> By: It’s TIME for Some Serious Voluntourism http://blog.voluntourism.org/?p=188&cpage=1#comment-4439 It’s TIME for Some Serious Voluntourism Thu, 12 Nov 2009 04:24:35 +0000 http://blog.voluntourism.org/?p=188#comment-4439 [...] transactions involved, David Clemmons (see TI100 profile), founder of Voluntourism.org, is much less cynical about luxury voluntourism, and says that “it is difficult for me to be critical of activities [...] [...] transactions involved, David Clemmons (see TI100 profile), founder of Voluntourism.org, is much less cynical about luxury voluntourism, and says that “it is difficult for me to be critical of activities [...]

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