Re-”Thinking” VolunTourism For Decade 2.0
It’s time for a transition, insomuch as we are moving from a decade that truly shaped the introductory developmental steps of VolunTourism into the second decade of the new millennium. In Decade 1.0, we saw natural and man-made disasters of unprecedented caliber and their subsequent influence on the formation of VolunTourism.
We also saw the emergence of an approach to travel and voluntary service that is still very much in its infancy. Looking back at what I thought about VolunTourism in 2000, I realize that some of my thinking has changed; the fundamentals, however, are intact, yet there is some re-tooling to do. Where to look for inspiration?
Fortunately, I don’t have to look too far. The cover story of the December 2009 issue of Foreign Policy magazine is ”The FP Top 100 Global Thinkers.” The opening salvo reads:
From the brains behind Iran’s Green Revolution to the economic Cassandra who actually did have a crystal ball, they had the big ideas that shaped our world in 2009. Read on to see the 100 minds that mattered most in the year that was.”
I will not comment on who made or did not make the list. I simply recommend that you take the time to read through the entries. Some of the names are likely familiar to you; others, well, not so much. For me, what I found to be particularly helpful were some of the comments by these thinkers as to who influenced their thought, what’s on their reading list, or what they thought was the best idea or worst idea of 2009. Here are a few that I picked out:
- Rajendra Pachauri #5 – “Best idea of 2009: Vegetarianism as a means to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
- Malcolm Gladwell #19 – influenced by Richard Thaler, Gary Klein, Richard Nisbett, Iain Pears
- Chris Anderson #24 – “Worst idea: Regulating bloggers.”
- Esther Duflo #41 – “Reading list: The Emperor, by Ryszard Kapuscinski; The Biographer’s Tale, by A.S. Byatt; In Xanadu, by William Dalrymple.”
- Esther Dyson #70 – “Best idea: Train unemployed workers to be teachers and build retirement homes next to orphanages.”
It is a long list, 100 people, with quite a number of economists, as you might imagine in a year that was dominated by economics. Nevertheless, I have found this to be very helpful in beginning the process of constructing some guidance for the journey that lies ahead.
It was in a conversation last week with Linda Chew, Managing Editor of Travelanthropist.com, I had a chance to hear the ’sweet’ words of my original thoughts on VolunTourism. I was immediately inspired; instantaneously the years did roll back when she said,
What I like, and we talk a lot about volunteer travel on our website, what I like about the idea of volunteer tourism is the idea that it’s a combination of tourism and volunteering. I think that the two parts are very essential for it to work well. You know, a lot of people volunteer and neglect the tourism part, but I think tourism really provides the backdrop to understanding the destination – the people, the culture, and the pride of the nation. I don’t think you can fully appreciate the people without knowing about their country or getting to know and seeing their country.
And the volunteer part is very important as well, because it is a very tangible part of what you can do for the people or the place. So, I really believe that if you have the two, in a good proportion, you really do get a full experience out of that travel.”
The key to moving forward will be to maintain the connection to the core values and principles upon which VolunTourism was established. These have remained unchanged, despite the adoption of the term by others who have re-purposed it over time. VolunTourism is travel. VolunTourism is voluntary service. These are true statements. But VolunTourism is something else, something emergent and continuing to emerge. And it is this very thing that inspires me each and every day.
As more minds around the world begin to explore VolunTourism, we will continue to see interpretations of what it is and what it means. Creative license will be at a premium. My hope, however, is that regardless of the creativity and ingenuity that is applied, we will invariably, like the compass pointing north, return to the conscious realization that it is truly a combination of voluntary service and travel & tourism.
It is from these foundational roots – ‘balanced engagement rooted in reciprocity‘ – that we can re-tool, re-formulate, and refine in Decade 2.0. I’m looking forward to the learning and sharing – as Linda says, “we are all life-long learners.”
Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment