Ethical Global Engagement: How to Avoid the White-Savior Complex in International Service

My name is Haley Phillips and I am a first year Higher Education Administration masters student at the University of Michigan with an interest in international education. Upon completing my master’s coursework, I hope to work on university-based ethical global engagement programs that promote positive relationships between international volunteers and the host communities they serve.

Voluntourism is an emerging phenomenon among privileged travelers. Essentially it unites volunteering and traveling. Despite being founded on good intentions, the effectiveness of, and motivations behind, such trips overseas must be examined in-depth in order to avoid the trap of moral imperialism – aka going abroad and acting like you know everything about said country. Before you sign up for a volunteer trip anywhere in the world this summer, consider whether you possess the skill set necessary for that trip to be successful. If yes, awesome!  If not, it might be a good idea to reconsider your trip. Sadly, taking part in international aid where you aren’t particularly helpful is not always a good thing. It’s detrimental. It slows down positive growth and perpetuates the “white savior” complex that, for hundreds of years, has haunted the countries white people were trying to help.

Be smart about traveling and strive to be informed and culturally aware. It’s only through an understanding of the problems communities are facing, and the continued development of skills within that community, that long-term solutions will be created. Here’s some tips for ethical global engagement:

1. Choose to travel with a company that really believes and promotes sustainable tourism. Research research research!
2. Ask for evidence of how previous volunteers have made a difference. Finding hard evidence such as testimonials from community members and data is a good way to determine if the service organization is actually helping the community.
3. Educate yourself! Prepare to be a voluntourist by researching and understanding the area that you are visiting. Google stuff such as cultural norms, acceptable behavior, and appropriate dress.
4. Consider simple ways that you can protect the area that you are visiting and support the people in your host community. For example, carry around a plastic bag with you and collect trash.
5. Get to know the people who live in the community where you are volunteering. Eat meals with them and learn about their wants and needs.
6. Consider the long-term impact of your volunteering and take steps to make it count beyond your volunteer trip. When you leave, will the community be better off than before you arrived?
7. If you are not qualified to do it in the US, don’t do it abroad. If you aren’t trained to build a house in the US, then why would you build one in another country?
8. The community needs come ahead of yours. You are volunteering to help a community. The trip is not for your Instagram pictures or stories you can tell your friends. You are there to make an impact for the people you are serving

Adapted from:

Northover, R. (2016, October 28). How to be a Responsible Voluntourist. Retrieved October 30, 2017, from https://www.goabroad.com/articles/volunteer-abroad/how-to-ensure-you-are-being-a-responsible-voluntourist

Plummer, A. (2017, January 21). Responsible Voluntourism - Doing Good Abroad. Retrieved October 30, 2017, from https://www.tbd.community/en/a/responsible-voluntourism-doing-good-abroad