Many of you will already have seen the fantastic Instagram account Barbie Savior which critiques voluntourism – well now she has teamed up with the equally fantastic Radi-Aid to develop a social media guide for volunteers and travellers. With the rapid rise in voluntourism over the last 10 years, many of us will know someone who has travelled overseas to volunteer in a developing country, you can even become an independent contractor. Whilst overseas, these volunteers will often document their experience by taking photographs and sharing on their various social networks. These images will usually be innocent portrayals of their everyday lives whilst volunteering, access to paystubs, other times they can be potentially insulting or reinforce stereotypes of people living in poverty.
This new guide warns volunteers of the damage that images can have on the representation of distant others. The illustrated guide follows four main principles:
1. Promote dignity
2. Gain informed consent
3. Question your intentions
4. Use your chance – bring down stereotypes
There is also a handy checklist – see below






