Learn the historical context of volunteering abroad, common critiques of international volunteer efforts, and how to adopt an ethical mindset on your Brigade.
Understanding the principles of ethical volunteering is essential to having a rewarding and positive Brigade experience. Through these resources, you will learn the historical context of volunteering abroad, common critiques of international volunteer efforts, and how to adopt an ethical mindset on your Brigade.
Understanding Voluntourism
Learn what voluntourism is and how to avoid this mentality on Brigade. Use this information to explore the complexities of international volunteering and develop an awareness of the ethical issues presented when volunteering abroad:
What do people mean when they refer to the white savior complex? This term, like the term voluntourist (or “volunteer tourist”), is meant to draw attention to the problematic dynamics of colonialism. Specifically, it refers to when privileged -- often white -- individuals enter communities (either domestically or internationally) with the self-serving intention of “saving” those less fortunate.
What is colonialism? Colonialism refers to the policy or practice of wealthy or powerful nations maintaining or extending their control over other countries, especially by establishing settlements and/or exploiting resources. While colonialism refers to several different practices, it generally refers to European colonialism.
Between roughly the 15th and early 20th century, European powers began traveling to lands previously unknown to Europeans and assuming control of lands and people they encountered. While the era of colonialism is considered to be over, it has a powerful and ongoing legacy. The theft and exploitation of people and resources have lasting consequences. White saviorism continues to perpetuate and reinforce these power dynamics.
How is the white savior attitude harmful? The white savior attitude is harmful because it patronizes communities by suggesting they need outside intervention to identify and solve their problems. It is critical to remember that community members are the experts about their community and know what may need to be done.
- Blog Post: We Are Not the Saviors of This Story highlights how saviorism can perpetuate the damaging effects of colonialism and overlook community expertise.
- Documentary: Lenscapes by Redifined Films. Dive into the challenges of cross-cultural service
Making a Sustainable Impact
Global Brigades works to offset the limitations of short-term volunteering abroad by ensuring the sustainability of our Programs through community partnership, education, and year-round support. It is important to understand why community input and buy-in are crucial to effective development work.
- Sustainability is critical to the effectiveness of our initiatives. Learn more about sustainability through the Holistic Model to understand what Global Brigades does year-round in partnership with communities.
- Ted Talk: Want to Help Someone? by Ernesto Sirolli. Understand the importance of community engagement in effective development work.
Being a Responsible Volunteer
When community members welcome you into their communities and homes, they place a great deal of trust in you. Learn how to approach this relationship with an informed and respectful perspective and attitude.
Complete the checklist below, which includes important action items and resources to prepare you to engage ethically on your Brigade:☑️ Check Your “Savior Complex”
- Recognize that participation in this collaborative work is a privilege, not a right.
- YouTube: Empathy vs. Sympathy by Brene Brown
- Understand the difference between charity and solidarity:
"I don't believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person. I have a lot to learn from other people. I don't believe in charity. I believe in solidarity. Charity is so vertical. It goes from the top to the bottom. Solidarity is horizontal. It respects the other person. I have a lot to learn from other people." -Eduardo Galeano
- Ted Talk: What It Means to Be a Citizen of the World
- Blog Post: What Is a Global Citizen? Benefits, Examples, and Global Brigades
☑️ Improve Your Cultural Awareness and Competence
- Learn more about where you are traveling and the current challenges there (e.g. government, health care system, recent events).
- Understand the differences between your cultures and how this will impact your interactions.
- Blog Post: The Ethics of Volunteering: Beyond Good Intentions, includes a list of questions to reflect on and suggestions for how to dismantle unproductive attitudes.
☑️ Reflect on Your Motivations to Volunteer
- Understanding your motivations can help you adopt a “Deep Volunteer” perspective.
- Why are you interested in volunteering abroad? Why specifically volunteer in this country and with this Brigade type?
- Set clear intentions and goals to interact with community members, ask questions, and meaningfully reflect on your experience.
- Article: The Reductive Seduction of Other People’s Problems by Courtney Martin
Using Social Media to Empower
After your Brigade, the photos and captions you post on social media will shape other’s perspectives of you, community members, and Global Brigades. Learn how to responsibly share meaningful content from your Brigade that will continue to empower community members and inspire others.
- Blog Post: We encourage volunteers to post content that emphasizes genuine and candid interaction between volunteers, staff, and community members. Volunteers should use social media meaningfully to allow others to gain an understanding of our collaborative work. Read this article to understand how to use social media to empower.
- Ted Talk: Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Explore blog and social media content posted by Global Brigades. Notice the language nuances that empower all stakeholders involved.
In Summary
Shallow Volunteers: Dominated by personal interest. They do not reflect deeply or think critically and get stuck in the superficial knowledge/learning that they get out of the experience.
“Wow learning how to take blood pressure is going to look awesome on my medical school application.”
Intermediate Volunteers: Have interests that lie somewhere between self-serving and altruism. They often gain some “wisdom” from the experience, but it does not impact them in a deep, life-changing way.
"People have a really strong sense of community and family, therefore, I think I should learn from that and be grateful for my friends and family at home rather than what I have.”
Deep Volunteers: More focused on community relationships, impact, and take the time to understand the larger impact of their experience. They gain insight that will impact them forever.
“The way my country interacts with Honduras contributes to why Brigades are needed in the first place. I must demand change from my leaders, prioritize other countries as a consumer, and vote based on the needs of others, not just myself.”