Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Issue paper-Be an International volunteer: a helper or an invader?

Introduce

Nowadays, taking advantage of summer or winter vacation to help the local in low developed areas becomes common and “popular” among the youth. Instead staying in Taiwan, these people associates with some organizations such as Wake, Rock, Aesic and so on to have a chance to step out their comfortable zones and also, have a chance to give out their help to people living in poor areas. This kind of activity let young people broaden their horizons by contacting with foreigners, adjusting themselves to different cultures and gradually being cultivated the attitude-- giving s gains more happiness than receives. Those benefits are for volunteers themselves, yet how about the feel of local resident being helped? Do they really benefit from people who mostly come from developed, wealth countries in about short two months or even three weeks? I doubt it. Even though the initial intention of this activity is positive, it still can be damaged by people who aren’t set true heart on serving for others. In this issue, I would like to analyze how those oversea-serving organizations provide to volunteers of braving themselves to landing on worse environment. How does short-term helping influence the local? What better way can be used to improve their lives instead leave pain for them? How can we do to be a HELPER instead of being an invader?

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