Comments on: Voluntourism: What could go wrong when trying to do right? http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/ NGOs, Voluntourism, Cambodia, and Life Lessons Sun, 06 May 2012 09:03:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/comment-page-1/#comment-3114 Anonymous Sat, 10 Sep 2011 20:18:00 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=379#comment-3114 I tend to look at volunteer work in two categories: emergency and ongoing. In an ongoing situation, I think the important thing is to build capacity and expand opportunities as opposed to filling a hole which will need to be filled again once you leave. So, medical assistants training others to be able to do those jobs after they leave is different than filling a hole without fostering local systems which can solve the same problems in the future.  Thanks for the comment! I tend to look at volunteer work in two categories: emergency and ongoing. In an ongoing situation, I think the important thing is to build capacity and expand opportunities as opposed to filling a hole which will need to be filled again once you leave. So, medical assistants training others to be able to do those jobs after they leave is different than filling a hole without fostering local systems which can solve the same problems in the future.  Thanks for the comment!

]]> By: Charity http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/comment-page-1/#comment-3104 Charity Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:35:00 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=379#comment-3104 Awesome! Thanks Daniella for the very constructive info, just got subscribed to the site and can't stop reading it! I love the "Giving unskilled volunteers jobs that require skill" I'd say skilled is different in different countries eg. lot's of African countries do not have doctor's assistants as in Western countries........ so allowing doctor's assistants who've been to 4-6 weeks training in their country and are able to take blood pressure, injections and pulse together with local nursing interns who've had to be in college / uni for 3+ years, is not fair to the locals......... tough balance.....I'd love to hear your take on this......Charity  Awesome! Thanks Daniella for the very constructive info, just got subscribed to the site and can’t stop reading it! I love the “Giving unskilled volunteers jobs that require skill” I’d say skilled is different in different countries eg. lot’s of African countries do not have doctor’s assistants as in Western countries…….. so allowing doctor’s assistants who’ve been to 4-6 weeks training in their country and are able to take blood pressure, injections and pulse together with local nursing interns who’ve had to be in college / uni for 3+ years, is not fair to the locals……… tough balance…..I’d love to hear your take on this……Charity 

]]> By: danielapapi http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/comment-page-1/#comment-646 danielapapi Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:41:45 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=379#comment-646 Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of "voluntourism", so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. <a href="http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy</a> <br><br>One could argue the title is still wrong: "Finding volunteer trips that actually help" - as we should perhaps not have "volunteer" in it at all to really "help".... or we can just start talking candidly about how the "help" is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and "selling" this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation! Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of “voluntourism”, so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy

One could argue the title is still wrong: “Finding volunteer trips that actually help” – as we should perhaps not have “volunteer” in it at all to really “help”…. or we can just start talking candidly about how the “help” is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and “selling” this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation!

]]> By: danielapapi http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/comment-page-1/#comment-611 danielapapi Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:41:45 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=379#comment-611 Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of "voluntourism", so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. <a href="http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy" rel="nofollow">http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy</a> <br><br>One could argue the title is still wrong: "Finding volunteer trips that actually help" - as we should perhaps not have "volunteer" in it at all to really "help".... or we can just start talking candidly about how the "help" is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and "selling" this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation! Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of “voluntourism”, so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy

One could argue the title is still wrong: “Finding volunteer trips that actually help” – as we should perhaps not have “volunteer” in it at all to really “help”…. or we can just start talking candidly about how the “help” is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and “selling” this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation!

]]> By: Anonymous http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/comment-page-1/#comment-716 Anonymous Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:41:00 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=379#comment-716 Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of "voluntourism", so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy nnOne could argue the title is still wrong: "Finding volunteer trips that actually help" - as we should perhaps not have "volunteer" in it at all to really "help".... or we can just start talking candidly about how the "help" is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and "selling" this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation! Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of “voluntourism”, so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy nnOne could argue the title is still wrong: “Finding volunteer trips that actually help” – as we should perhaps not have “volunteer” in it at all to really “help”…. or we can just start talking candidly about how the “help” is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and “selling” this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation!

]]> By: Anonymous http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/comment-page-1/#comment-723 Anonymous Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:41:00 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=379#comment-723 Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of "voluntourism", so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy nnOne could argue the title is still wrong: "Finding volunteer trips that actually help" - as we should perhaps not have "volunteer" in it at all to really "help".... or we can just start talking candidly about how the "help" is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and "selling" this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation! Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of “voluntourism”, so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy nnOne could argue the title is still wrong: “Finding volunteer trips that actually help” – as we should perhaps not have “volunteer” in it at all to really “help”…. or we can just start talking candidly about how the “help” is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and “selling” this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation!

]]> By: Anonymous http://lessonsilearned.org/2010/02/voluntourism-what-could-go-wrong-when-trying-to-do-right/comment-page-1/#comment-774 Anonymous Wed, 02 Jun 2010 05:41:00 +0000 http://lessonsilearned.org/?p=379#comment-774 Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of "voluntourism", so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy nnOne could argue the title is still wrong: "Finding volunteer trips that actually help" - as we should perhaps not have "volunteer" in it at all to really "help".... or we can just start talking candidly about how the "help" is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and "selling" this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation! Thanks for all of the comments here, and sorry for my delay in writing back! It looks like there are a lot of us who are concerned about the growth of “voluntourism”, so much so that it was featured on CNN today with thoughts from things like this and other similar posts. http://bit.ly/cNK9Xy nnOne could argue the title is still wrong: “Finding volunteer trips that actually help” – as we should perhaps not have “volunteer” in it at all to really “help”…. or we can just start talking candidly about how the “help” is for ourselves, the travelers, to be better able to serve the world once we open our eyes through these types of experiences. Either way, our sector needs to find a new way of talking about and “selling” this type of experience more honestly. Thanks for being part of the conversation!

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