Who is a global citizen? Manifestations of theory in practice

Abstract

Throughout my adult life I have been an unrepentant voluntourist. I have travelled to Central America to do "development projects" as a volunteer, gone to Havana to complete a study tour, and laid cement floors in the Dominican Republic. Through these experiences I developed new intercultural and language skills, built an "international" CV, and, at some point, I developed critiques of the host-visitor interactions in which I partook. My desire to reflect critically on voluntourism and, in particular, solidarity tours came to a head when I was studying for a master’s degree. My answer? Another trip to Central America but this time to ask communities how they felt about these visits.