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My personal history with volunteerism and western do-gooders in Africa
- uberman 6y agoI'm hesitant to comment on this as I am a legacy of what you perceive as imperialistic violence and exploitation but I'm hoping that you posted here to foster a conversation. Just to clarify, is your main issue with: the charity, volunteering, and other forms of altruism offered by western "do gooders" whom you cannot disassociate with a history of imperialistic violence and exploitation or is your issue with: your countrymen who are seemingly welcoming of their assistance? I assume you understood the conditions attached to your scholarship, including the requirement to participate in the exact behavior you are condemning. If so, why did you accept the scholarship in the first place?
- jelliclesfarm 6y ago(assuming the poster is the author of the article:) what would you have rather preferred? that there should be no charity works or volunteerism? i ask because i am from south india. an individual or an organisation is not a nation-state. and they dont time travel. i usually take people at face value. did you resent your visit to south india because you had nothing common with them? would you have preferred to volunteer in your homeland to uplift and educate your own people?
- Bakary 6y agoOne possible argument is that volunteer work of this type can have a negative effect through self-perpetuation and blocking out actually efficient methods, such as those proposed by the "randomistas"