I just read this post “9 Reasons Not To Give Things Away” and I agree with it. It relates back to my earlier post discussing how a group working in the same area as us in Cambodia subsidized water filters and thereby destroyed the market for the product (and negatively effected water filter use/health). I […]
In the last post, I wrote about how voluntourism can be ineffective if the right match between traveler and program is not found. I suggested placing volunteers in a role they are a natural fit for: as tourists. Here is how this example fits into our work at PEPY in Cambodia. I would be interested […]
One of the few blogs I check on a semi-regular basis is Tales from the Hood which recently had a post about dependency. I added these thoughts: This reminds me a bit of the World Food Program. Last year, during the food crisis, rather than cut back on what food was delivered, stop programs which […]
I recently read a blog, one of many, which was striving to analyze how positive “voluntourism” can be. The questions tend to revolve around one core question, “If volunteers are unskilled or getting involved in unnecessary or low priority work, and they themselves are getting a lot out of the experience, are they really doing good?” […]
Costas Christ wrote a piece on National Geographic Adventure’s blog about 10 places to avoid visiting. He writes: “I am a firm believer that travel, no matter the destination, can be a powerful learning experience. In fact, some of my worst trips have been among the most interesting. They are the places I still tell […]
If a businessman rakes in a hefty profit while doing good works, is that charity or greed? Do you applaud or hiss? Share your thoughts. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/opinion/25kristof.html?th&emc=th http://community.nytimes.com/article/comments/2008/12/25/opinion/25kristof.html
My friend Ryan passed on this information about an awesome trek in the Everest Region coming up this April. You should consider joining him, as it sounds like a great cause! Also, if we can work out the technological logistics, The PEPY Ride School program might be joining the journey virtually via the Connecting Continents […]