Voluntourism Flowchart
HOW TO TELL IF YOUR TRIP IS
VOLUNTOURISM IS THE ORGANIZATION FOR PROFIT? Hold this organization to the same standards that you would hold a regular charity. Every penny of the money and time you spend in service of this charity should either be reinvested into its operations or directly invested in the communities that it serves.
ARE YOU TAKING JOBS AWAY FROM THE LOCAL ECONOMY?
NO
Often, voluntourist trips take opportunities away from members of the communities that they aim to serve. The removal of local jobs will only further these countries’ economic issues in the long term. Additionally, this can create reliance on these organizations rather than allowing communities affected to work towards addressing their problems themselves. Organizations that employ locals to do this kind of work also exist, directly empowering those communities without siphoning away opportunities.
YES
YES NO
ARE YOU QUALIFIED TO DO THE WORK YOU WILL BE ENGAGING IN? For perspective, imagine you were doing this work in your local community. Would someone without extensive medical training or construction certifications be responsible for doing this work in Canada? With construction projects, meaningful change often doesn’t occur at the hands of outside volunteers; others may later have to return to fix the problems with what was made.
YES
DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE A CLEAR RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL MOTIVATION IN THAT COUNTRY? There are many organizations that provide a service with the added baggage of trying to impose their own religious or political beliefs on those in another country. If those beliefs aren’t adopted, these organizations may even stop their humanitarian work. There are many other options that do not try to impose certain views on the people they help.
YES NO
EXPENSIVE ACCOMMODATIONS
ARE YOU STAYING IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OR IN EXPENSIVE ACCOMMODATIONS NEARBY?
If you’re staying in expensive accommodations, it’s likely that the charity’s funds aren’t being allocated in the most appropriate way; these trips aren’t vacations. Staying with the community will also give you a better idea of what its needs are.
NO
LOCAL COMMUNITY
CONGRATULATIONS WHOOPSIES,
it looks like the trip is most likely voluntourism. Don’t worry; there’s still a ton of other opportunities available! Check out our resource hub at msumcmaster.ca/voluntourism to find more information about ethical alternatives, both internationally and locally.
on getting this far! However, just because you passed this test doesn’t mean the trip won’t be voluntourism. We’ve only scratched the surface; there’s still many more reasons why certain service trips can be a bad ideas. That’s why it’s important to do more research and critically examine organizations that you’re considering volunteering with. If you haven’t done so already, check out our Voluntourism Checklist for what else to look out for in an organization! If you still have any questions, message us at [email protected] to get our perspective on a particular charity or to help address any other concerns you may have.
VOLUNTOURISM IS THE ORGANIZATION FOR PROFIT? Hold this organization to the same standards that you would hold a regular charity. Every penny of the money and time you spend in service of this charity should either be reinvested into its operations or directly invested in the communities that it serves.
ARE YOU TAKING JOBS AWAY FROM THE LOCAL ECONOMY?
NO
Often, voluntourist trips take opportunities away from members of the communities that they aim to serve. The removal of local jobs will only further these countries’ economic issues in the long term. Additionally, this can create reliance on these organizations rather than allowing communities affected to work towards addressing their problems themselves. Organizations that employ locals to do this kind of work also exist, directly empowering those communities without siphoning away opportunities.
YES
YES NO
ARE YOU QUALIFIED TO DO THE WORK YOU WILL BE ENGAGING IN? For perspective, imagine you were doing this work in your local community. Would someone without extensive medical training or construction certifications be responsible for doing this work in Canada? With construction projects, meaningful change often doesn’t occur at the hands of outside volunteers; others may later have to return to fix the problems with what was made.
YES
DOES YOUR ORGANIZATION HAVE A CLEAR RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL MOTIVATION IN THAT COUNTRY? There are many organizations that provide a service with the added baggage of trying to impose their own religious or political beliefs on those in another country. If those beliefs aren’t adopted, these organizations may even stop their humanitarian work. There are many other options that do not try to impose certain views on the people they help.
YES NO
EXPENSIVE ACCOMMODATIONS
ARE YOU STAYING IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY OR IN EXPENSIVE ACCOMMODATIONS NEARBY?
If you’re staying in expensive accommodations, it’s likely that the charity’s funds aren’t being allocated in the most appropriate way; these trips aren’t vacations. Staying with the community will also give you a better idea of what its needs are.
NO
LOCAL COMMUNITY
CONGRATULATIONS WHOOPSIES,
it looks like the trip is most likely voluntourism. Don’t worry; there’s still a ton of other opportunities available! Check out our resource hub at msumcmaster.ca/voluntourism to find more information about ethical alternatives, both internationally and locally.
on getting this far! However, just because you passed this test doesn’t mean the trip won’t be voluntourism. We’ve only scratched the surface; there’s still many more reasons why certain service trips can be a bad ideas. That’s why it’s important to do more research and critically examine organizations that you’re considering volunteering with. If you haven’t done so already, check out our Voluntourism Checklist for what else to look out for in an organization! If you still have any questions, message us at [email protected] to get our perspective on a particular charity or to help address any other concerns you may have.
