Comments on: Summertime Imperialism: Meet sex-trafficking victims and other sad folk http://www.lauraagustin.com/summertime-imperialism-meet-sex-trafficking-victims-and-other-sad-folk Dr Laura Agustín on Migration, Trafficking and the Rescue Industry Wed, 22 May 2013 03:00:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Laura Agustín http://www.lauraagustin.com/summertime-imperialism-meet-sex-trafficking-victims-and-other-sad-folk#comment-9564 Laura Agustín Sun, 02 Sep 2012 10:34:33 +0000 http://www.lauraagustin.com/?p=16995#comment-9564 That's fine. I did not write about this business because I am 'close-minded', however. Rather I have close to 20 years of experience listening to people on this subject. And if you read the post carefully you will see that I brought it up again because numerous people IN Thailand had written to me to complain, or mock, or feel invaded by the tour. I know someone who was on your tour as well. So your personal feelings of how benign and good it all was reflect your experience but do not define an entire area of endeavour. I also notice you don't say anything about the name of the tour: the 'delegation' and 'ending slavery'. That’s fine. I did not write about this business because I am ‘close-minded’, however. Rather I have close to 20 years of experience listening to people on this subject. And if you read the post carefully you will see that I brought it up again because numerous people IN Thailand had written to me to complain, or mock, or feel invaded by the tour. I know someone who was on your tour as well. So your personal feelings of how benign and good it all was reflect your experience but do not define an entire area of endeavour. I also notice you don’t say anything about the name of the tour: the ‘delegation’ and ‘ending slavery’.

]]> By: CassisP http://www.lauraagustin.com/summertime-imperialism-meet-sex-trafficking-victims-and-other-sad-folk#comment-9563 CassisP Sun, 02 Sep 2012 00:57:13 +0000 http://www.lauraagustin.com/?p=16995#comment-9563 oh and as for the "worry" that people go on these tours and suddenly think they are experts in this issue you are dead wrong. I would say every person I talked to that was on my tour recognized that they learned a lot, but were almost overwhelmed by how much deeper these issues went. we all developed a HUGE amount of respect for the leaders and volunteers that we met. on my tour there were 3 professors of sociology, two students (one researching her doctorate) a few of social workers, a surgeon (who does a lot of volunteer work in Haiti and Nigeria) a couple people who were simply looking for a more in depth learning experience, and me, a plain old art student, the baby of the group. I walked away from this tour with an entirely new store of information. I am fully aware that I have only scratched the surface of the human trafficking issue. but without going on this trip I would be even farther behind in knowing, who,where, when and how I might be able to help in the future. oh and as for the “worry” that people go on these tours and suddenly think they are experts in this issue you are dead wrong. I would say every person I talked to that was on my tour recognized that they learned a lot, but were almost overwhelmed by how much deeper these issues went. we all developed a HUGE amount of respect for the leaders and volunteers that we met.
on my tour there were 3 professors of sociology, two students (one researching her doctorate) a few of social workers, a surgeon (who does a lot of volunteer work in Haiti and Nigeria) a couple people who were simply looking for a more in depth learning experience, and me, a plain old art student, the baby of the group.
I walked away from this tour with an entirely new store of information. I am fully aware that I have only scratched the surface of the human trafficking issue. but without going on this trip I would be even farther behind in knowing, who,where, when and how I might be able to help in the future.

]]> By: CassisP http://www.lauraagustin.com/summertime-imperialism-meet-sex-trafficking-victims-and-other-sad-folk#comment-9562 CassisP Sat, 01 Sep 2012 23:06:15 +0000 http://www.lauraagustin.com/?p=16995#comment-9562 I actually went on that tour this past summer and we did not meet any "freed slaves" or victims of sex trafficking. we also did not take tours through red light districts and stare at the sex workers like they were zoo animals. (though some people on the tour went off on their own and visited those places it was not on the agenda) we were in Thailand for 10 days and we met with the leaders of many Thai and foreign NGOs and learned about the social and economic issues that are problems in Thailand. we learned about Labor rights, and citizenship issues that migrants and Hill tribe people face... yes this was a tour. we were not there to volunteer, we did visit a couple villages (but they were accustomed to tourists and more of a sightseeing event) and we also did a little bit of sightseeing. no one on my trip was blind to the fact that we were tourists. and everyone had different ideas of what they expected to see and learn. I personally wanted more hands on, and less tourism. but I also understand that I went on a tour instead volunteering with a specific group and was only there for a week so I wasn't going to get more hands on then what I got. we all understood that what was crammed into those 10 days was a brief overview of Thailand. but it gave each of us connections and a good idea of where to go and what we could do if we wanted to return and actually do something. Who decided what organizations we visited? We did. when we registered for the tour we were asked to make suggestions on places and people we were interested in. and they did the Leg work and made the connections for us. all in all it was a Very well rounded tour and it catered to everyone in the group in one way or another.. I learned A LOT of things that I would not have been able to read about. and as someone who is interested in working with abolitionist NGO's in my future I think that being able to meet with those people face to face, and created those connections was extremely beneficial. the purpose of this tour was not for people to come and experience "enlightenment" about the horrors of the world.. it is for the people who are already aware and want to find a way they can actively learn more, so that they are able to find a focus and specific ways for them to get involved. I understand where you are coming from with reality tours/missions trips can do more harm than good, acting like it is a Disneyland trip where they get to go and feel bad for the poor dirty children... but I think that you are being very close minded about what these trips really are, and the benefits they have. I actually went on that tour this past summer and we did not meet any “freed slaves” or victims of sex trafficking. we also did not take tours through red light districts and stare at the sex workers like they were zoo animals. (though some people on the tour went off on their own and visited those places it was not on the agenda)
we were in Thailand for 10 days and we met with the leaders of many Thai and foreign NGOs and learned about the social and economic issues that are problems in Thailand. we learned about Labor rights, and citizenship issues that migrants and Hill tribe people face…

yes this was a tour. we were not there to volunteer, we did visit a couple villages (but they were accustomed to tourists and more of a sightseeing event) and we also did a little bit of sightseeing. no one on my trip was blind to the fact that we were tourists. and everyone had different ideas of what they expected to see and learn. I personally wanted more hands on, and less tourism. but I also understand that I went on a tour instead volunteering with a specific group and was only there for a week so I wasn’t going to get more hands on then what I got.

we all understood that what was crammed into those 10 days was a brief overview of Thailand. but it gave each of us connections and a good idea of where to go and what we could do if we wanted to return and actually do something.

Who decided what organizations we visited? We did. when we registered for the tour we were asked to make suggestions on places and people we were interested in. and they did the Leg work and made the connections for us.

all in all it was a Very well rounded tour and it catered to everyone in the group in one way or another.. I learned A LOT of things that I would not have been able to read about. and as someone who is interested in working with abolitionist NGO’s in my future I think that being able to meet with those people face to face, and created those connections was extremely beneficial.

the purpose of this tour was not for people to come and experience “enlightenment” about the horrors of the world.. it is for the people who are already aware and want to find a way they can actively learn more, so that they are able to find a focus and specific ways for them to get involved.

I understand where you are coming from with reality tours/missions trips can do more harm than good, acting like it is a Disneyland trip where they get to go and feel bad for the poor dirty children… but I think that you are being very close minded about what these trips really are, and the benefits they have.

]]> By: Laura Agustín http://www.lauraagustin.com/summertime-imperialism-meet-sex-trafficking-victims-and-other-sad-folk#comment-9545 Laura Agustín Tue, 21 Aug 2012 21:23:12 +0000 http://www.lauraagustin.com/?p=16995#comment-9545 A recent headline: Thrill-seeking tourists take aim at West Bank range. Tourists in Israel. It's hard to comment. A recent headline: Thrill-seeking tourists take aim at West Bank range. Tourists in Israel. It’s hard to comment.

]]> By: Kathryn Mathers http://www.lauraagustin.com/summertime-imperialism-meet-sex-trafficking-victims-and-other-sad-folk#comment-9542 Kathryn Mathers Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:56:22 +0000 http://www.lauraagustin.com/?p=16995#comment-9542 From my book "Travel, Humanitarianism and Becoming American in Africa": A South African humor writer, Barry Ronge took on Global Exchange’s Reality Tours that had been hosted by AfriCultural Tours in a Sunday newspaper column. He described a travel company that offers tourists “close encounters with communities beset by conflict, poverty and repression” (Ronge 1998). In wonder he asked himself: Can there be people whose lives are so untroubled, calm and ordered that they feel a need to get away from it all by traveling to some Third World land to experience at first hand what it is like to live in a country impoverished by political oppression, war and sanctions? I was immediately struck by the notion that for reality tourists South Africa is a prime destination. We have more “reality” here than we can reasonably deal with and skilled marketing could give us complete market domination". I did fieldwork with the Global Exchange tours in South Africa and other tourists and it is a definite characteristic of such travel that it makes the traveler an instant "expert" on their return, belying all the optimistic discourse about "global understanding"/"cross cultural communication" and suggesting that less travel would be better for better 'global relations'. From my book “Travel, Humanitarianism and Becoming American in Africa”:
A South African humor writer, Barry Ronge took on Global Exchange’s Reality Tours that had been hosted by AfriCultural Tours in a Sunday newspaper column. He described a travel company that offers tourists “close encounters with communities beset by conflict, poverty and repression” (Ronge 1998). In wonder he asked himself:
Can there be people whose lives are so untroubled, calm and ordered that they feel a need to get away from it all by traveling to some Third World land to experience at first hand what it is like to live in a country impoverished by political oppression, war and sanctions? I was immediately struck by the notion that for reality tourists South Africa is a prime destination. We have more “reality” here than we can reasonably deal with and skilled marketing could give us complete market domination”.
I did fieldwork with the Global Exchange tours in South Africa and other tourists and it is a definite characteristic of such travel that it makes the traveler an instant “expert” on their return, belying all the optimistic discourse about “global understanding”/”cross cultural communication” and suggesting that less travel would be better for better ‘global relations’.

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