White Saviour Complex campaign
STOP WHITE SAVIORISM IN VOLUNTEERING
Every year, a mass of volunteer tourists, who are white, privileged and from the Global North, go on holidays to “help” the people in the Global South. In SCI we had a 5-day social media campaign in which we talked about what the savior complex is and why it is harmful.
? Throughout the campaign we talked about:
▪️ What is white saviorism complex and why is it harmful?
▪️ How is it connected to volunteering?
▪️ What questions should we ask ourselves in order to avoid white saviorism?
▪️ What are good practices and solutions?
7 SCI Branches participated in the campaign (SCI IS, SCI Austria, KVT Finland, SCI Germany, VSI Ireland, VIA Netherlands, SCI Switzerland). The campaign was shared more than 70 times and it got more than 7500 impressions.
Below you can find the campaign designs throughout all the days.
Day 1
Through this online campaign we wanted to uncover and stop white saviorism logic behind volunteer tourism!
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
It is important to acknowledge practices that can help us act for global justice and change neocolonial structures in volunteering organisations!
Day 5
Over the past few days we discussed the connection of white savior complex with volunteering and have raised the question how we can avoid it as well as reflecting on good practices and solutions! You can find further reading and tips for a deeper understanding of “white savior complex”.
See the campaign in our Social Media: Facebook & Instagram.
Many thanks to the team who prepared the campaign!!!
Explore more news
PEACE for Nature Online Learning Sessions
From August to October 2024, the PEACE for Nature project gathered young climate activists and changemakers through a series of six engaging online sessions. Focusing on climate action, civic engagement, and advocacy, these sessions provided participants with essential skills and knowledge to strengthen their local initiatives, building a foundation for effective environmental justice work. The...
Youth Engage in Climate Activism through PEACE for Nature
From June 22 to 29, the Polish town of Pniewy near Poznan became a hub for young climate advocates during the PEACE for Nature program, a vital initiative aimed at enhancing youth engagement in climate activism within the Service Civil International (SCI) movement. This international gathering equipped participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to tackle climate issues and advocate for...
Tracing the roots of international voluntary service
In the spirit of regional understanding and cooperation 3 voluntary originations UVIKUITA (Tanzania), Zimbabwe Workcamps Association (ZWA) and South Africa Volunteer Workcamp Association (SAVWA) forged a partnership for a 40 days regional workcamp which started in Tanzania, moving to Zimbabwe and ended in South Africa.