[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
#1793: Re: #1777: How can we help? Bell responds to Corbett
From: madison bell <mbell@goucher.edu>
A footnote to Bob's remark than some people argue that what it costs for
somebody to go to Haiti to make direct contact with their aid project or
whatever is a waste because after all what would that sum mean to a Haitian.
1. My own experience has been that a lot of the time you gotta be there to
make the thing happen whatever it is. Remote control won't do it.
2. Every visitor to Haiti spends in the local economy. In fact, once they
get done paying the airline that's where all their cost
goes. Economically, the visits of aid workers and volunteers are valuable
as another alternative form of tourism. Small stuff, sure, but it's not
waste. the more such visitors penetrate out of the way places the more
they can bring a little trade to people who normally get none. I think
this is worth something, especially now when tourism is so stagnant.
3. Being in the country helps the volunteer understand the culture which
means that that person's efforts to do something constructive will be more
likely to succeed. Also, people who visit tend to get a giant boost in
their motivation to do something constructive and are likely to spread that
enthusiasm back home.
msb