@Kate – Thanks for the comment and yes that is exactly the question. Volunteers in other countries are constantly faced with the moral dilemma of “Is it my place to get involved with X issue?” and “Evil triumphs when good (wo)men stand by and do nothing.” Finding that balance is our challenge and I look forward to hearing more points of view on that subject.

@Hector – Great example of volunteers empowering their host community! Corruption is a hard monster to conquer and I am so glad you shared with us how your friend was able to do so in her community. Right on point.

I would first like to respond to “To Hell with Good Intentions” and then move to this article.

I think Mr. Illich brings up some good points, namely that training and language skills are often lacking, that finding common ground with low income populations in another culture is complex at best and impossible at worst, and that often volunteers just don’t know what the hell they are doing.

That said, I disagree with Mr. Illich that we should be chomping at the bit to revoke the visas of “any and all North American ‘dogooders’” in Latin America.

Although it is plain that good intentions are not enough, and that some volunteers can quite easily do more harm than good, this does not have to be the case. It is also very often NOT the case.

Many volunteers are armed with more than good intentions. Many have a real understanding of the complexity of the work they intend to do. In place of Western paternalism, cultural naïveté, condescension and rudimentary language skills, some volunteers are rightly humble in the face of a new culture, have advanced language skills, and have a deep willingness to learn just as much as they hope to teach. Some volunteers recognize and overcome linguistic and cultural barriers to the extent they can by striving to connect with the people they live with and work to truly empower local populations.

Given that these volunteers exist, we should make sure more (if not all)volunteers share the same attitudes and strengths. Amanda rightly emphasizes what volunteers should be doing re: local populations: “Teach them, empower them to stand on their own two feet, help them demand accountability and transparency from their own government…”

That is precisely right; and something that volunteers are not yet good enough at doing. Mr. Illich is wrong, however, in supposing that this is impossible. In fact, what Amanda is calling for – i.e a subtle point of view that demands enough intelligence and ingenuity to avoid the charity curse and focus instead on capacity-building – is already being achieved.

I will give one example and will then end this already over-long comment. I have a volunteer friend who after spending weeks reading local laws began to understand the budget process in her host country. She compared the law to what was going on in her village and found a problem. The local mayor was supposed to call in a citizens’ council to approve the budget. This citizens’ council has full veto power over the mayor’s proposed budget. The volunteer found out that over the last several years the council was rarely called, and when it was called, the members were told to accept money in return for their signature on the budget. Owing to the fact that council members did not understand their obligations, rights, or powers, they were happy to do so.

In order to rectify this the volunteer had tea with the members of the citizen council prior to the confirmation of the budget. Once they read the law and understood their obligations and powers, the council wrote a letter to the mayor requesting a meeting. At the meeting they demanded that instead of only spending money on monuments, sidewalks, and new benches, that the mayor make some room for spending on health and education. After a four hour long meeting the equivalent of $20,000 was set aside for health projects.

That is the kind of work volunteer should do, can do, and are doing. Rather than tear down the edifice of volunteerism, can’t we shore up the foundations, patch up the holes, slap a little paint on, and keep on building?

I apologize for my lack of brevity — I look forward to more articles from you all soon.

She also discounts all programs she disagrees with as doomed to fail. I wouldnt want this person.