Dear folks from the Diaspora and outside of PR, Please AVOID & CONDEMN #Voluntourism
January 11, 2020
Tato Torres Sáez
If you wish to help, first identify and connect with local community leadership and organizations on-the-ground. If the cost of your travel and personal expenses is even half of what you'r contributing simply because you "absolutely" have to be the one to deliver it... it's huge Ego-trip!!!
1st and foremost, place yourself in everyone's shoes and proceed according to how you would wish to be respected... ask yourself... why you are coming... and be true to that! If you are a "guest".., who's your "host"...? Are you coming on vacation, to visit someone or w a specific mission in mind and if so..., is your presence absolutely necessary to accomplish it?
Voluntourism isn’t particularly helpful or benign and can be quite detrimental; slowing down positive cultural growth and perpetuating the highly problematic colonialist-missionary-styled “foreign/stranger-savior” and "victim" complexes that, for hundreds of years, plagued and have haunted our communities, our nation and culture.
And the #voluntourism problem its not exclusively an issue with foreign white/European/western volunteer-tourists. With a rising middle class, more and more entities; groups and especially individuals, are practicing voluntourism and their models are often just as broken and problematic as those of foreigners. Indeed there are even local volunteer initiatives, which face many of the same challenges and make the mistakes and challenges as foreign volunteers.
Any way in which you can define and apply your particular field of expertise through a local community or entity with specific needs for your knowledge and skills is more than welcome... it's the "tourism" part of the #voluntourism which makes it problematic... either you're a volunteer or your a tourist... and you can be a conscious contributing tourist...
Unless you are a specialist; teacher, doctor, carpenter, scientist, engineer, or any other professional that could actually provide concrete support towards critical needs and especially, long-term solutions in post-Maria PR.... and if you are just "helping out a little" while you are actually and in reality, vacationing..., an open mind and a good heart... just won't cut it for me regardless of the intentions.
If you're good at raising money, collecting items and telling stories..., then do that and channel the aid/help directly in a much more dignified and respectful manner. It usually makes much more sense and it is much more cost effective and efficient to invest and distribute the funds and resources directly within the communities to stimulate the local leadership and economy.
Truly effective assistance comes from actual direct connections, knowledge and understanding of the real problems and needs of individuals or within a community. Only then can we generate real continued aid and assistance of genuine progressive local development of empowering knowledge and skills that create long-term solutions.
Follow Mr. Torres on Facebook: facebook.com/TatoBrujo
Tato Torres Sáez
If you wish to help, first identify and connect with local community leadership and organizations on-the-ground. If the cost of your travel and personal expenses is even half of what you'r contributing simply because you "absolutely" have to be the one to deliver it... it's huge Ego-trip!!!
1st and foremost, place yourself in everyone's shoes and proceed according to how you would wish to be respected... ask yourself... why you are coming... and be true to that! If you are a "guest".., who's your "host"...? Are you coming on vacation, to visit someone or w a specific mission in mind and if so..., is your presence absolutely necessary to accomplish it?
Voluntourism isn’t particularly helpful or benign and can be quite detrimental; slowing down positive cultural growth and perpetuating the highly problematic colonialist-missionary-styled “foreign/stranger-savior” and "victim" complexes that, for hundreds of years, plagued and have haunted our communities, our nation and culture.
And the #voluntourism problem its not exclusively an issue with foreign white/European/western volunteer-tourists. With a rising middle class, more and more entities; groups and especially individuals, are practicing voluntourism and their models are often just as broken and problematic as those of foreigners. Indeed there are even local volunteer initiatives, which face many of the same challenges and make the mistakes and challenges as foreign volunteers.
Any way in which you can define and apply your particular field of expertise through a local community or entity with specific needs for your knowledge and skills is more than welcome... it's the "tourism" part of the #voluntourism which makes it problematic... either you're a volunteer or your a tourist... and you can be a conscious contributing tourist...
Unless you are a specialist; teacher, doctor, carpenter, scientist, engineer, or any other professional that could actually provide concrete support towards critical needs and especially, long-term solutions in post-Maria PR.... and if you are just "helping out a little" while you are actually and in reality, vacationing..., an open mind and a good heart... just won't cut it for me regardless of the intentions.
If you're good at raising money, collecting items and telling stories..., then do that and channel the aid/help directly in a much more dignified and respectful manner. It usually makes much more sense and it is much more cost effective and efficient to invest and distribute the funds and resources directly within the communities to stimulate the local leadership and economy.
Truly effective assistance comes from actual direct connections, knowledge and understanding of the real problems and needs of individuals or within a community. Only then can we generate real continued aid and assistance of genuine progressive local development of empowering knowledge and skills that create long-term solutions.
Follow Mr. Torres on Facebook: facebook.com/TatoBrujo
