UPDATE Aug 11, 12:45pm : some comments defending slum tourism; I give a new perspective on one of the most heated debates that has kept recurring on Aid Watch (see below).
The following bad things are now officially bad because:
(1) NYT oped page gives space to eloquent former slum resident to tell us that slum tourists are indeed really, really offensive (will they get it this time?)
(2) FT Africa editor realizes aid donors not as enthusiastic about democracy as they said they were, really.
(3) somebody finally showed what to do when your workplace is really, really bad: just grab 2 beers, curse at everyone in sight, and slide down the emergency chute. Aid workers: imitate?
UPDATE Aug 11, 12:45pm :
Some commentators defend slum tourism. This same debate keeps recurring on Aid Watch and has been one of our most heated issues ever. If you feel like it, check out the links below for previous rounds of debate. I am going to uncharacteristically step back and try to understand both sides.
Critics of poverty tourism are very sensitive to the dignity of the poor, feel that the rich would NOT be treated in the same way, and don’t feel the modest material payoffs justify a violation of dignity. Supporters stress the economic benefits and believe the poor should not or do not perceive a significant loss of dignity.
I think what the debate has advanced is an agreement that the dignity of the poor is a very important and legitimate consideration in aid. After that, there is just an almost empirical disagreement about how, when, what or why this dignity is or is not compromised by any given tourism project. But I’m glad that individual dignity has gotten a much higher profile as a major ideal, principle, and objective.
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21 Comments
Although I certainly respect the man’s opinion and recognize that it is held by some living in poverty, I don’t really understand it, nor is it probably shared by most poverty-stricken people.
If you live in Kibera, or any other poverty stricken neighborhood, people walk by you and look at you everyday. Yet you say you loose your “dignity” if that person happens to be on a tour or take a picture of you? Why? If you go to Hollywood, or New York or any big city tourists go on tours to learn about the city and the people living there. And they take pictures. To my knowledge New Yorkers don’t complain about losing their dignity.
Is it the poverty of Kibera that makes us talk about concerns over losing dignity? To my mind those two things don’t have a lot in common with eachother. Some of the most dignified people I have ever met lived in slums, while many rich Hollywood celebrities are about as undignified as you can get. You can’t lose your dignity from a photgraph.
However one of the most patronizing things you can do to poor people is treat them differently precisely because of their poverty. The whole mother bear-instinct of many in the Aid community (including many locals) is often way overdone leading them to care more about protecting the poor’s dignity rather then providing them with livelihoods through which they can earn it.
With that said, of course some (most) people taking “slum tours” have ridicoulsly inflated ideas about what such tours will give them and the community. But again thats not a unique phenomenon either. I’ve met plenty of people who have gone on tours to Europe and come back thinking they are experts on Paris or Rome. Its laughable, but hardly sinister and certainly doesn’t do the Parisans or Italians any harm.
Here’s an eloquent counter-argument from the other side of the tourist/slumdweller fence, but a tourist who had their life changed:
http://www.yourlifeisatrip.com/home/how-slum-tourism-can-change-your-life.html
It’s easy to sneer at tourists. But it’s easy to sneer at a lot of people.
I think it’s safe for me to say that this blog is primarily read by non-Africans. It would be wonderful if more Africans could contribute their voices to postings like this. We need to listen to what they have to say. We need to stop speaking on behalf of them. We need to respect what they have to say. More and more Africans are utilizing social networking tools and letting their opinions and ideas be heard in the media.
I can’t believe that people continue to argue and debate with an African who has personally experienced the boorish behavior of tourists and has had to deal with the failed policies and programs of global institutions.
Main Entry: ar·ro·gance
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions
“Understanding Africa for Dummies” is a must read for arrogant and superior-thinking people.
http://twitpic.com/2910br
People continue to argue with “an African” because one African, no matter their life history, does not represent the views of anyone other than one African (at least until that African has been duly elected in a free and fair election or has done extensive high quality research).
Pretending, or assuming, otherwise is just as arrogant and pretentious as ignoring the views of “an African.”
This is unbelievable. You are still arguing the issue. You’ve proven my point. This is exactly why I requested more Africans to contribute to this post.
What is the point of anyone doing “extensive high quality research” to be able to propose solutions or share their experiences. That’s typical of the intellectual academic community to say such a thing. You want to elevate yourselves above people. I think that you have given a perfect example of why global institutions have failed in many of their programs and projects.
I would highly recommend that people who sincerely want to help vulnerable and struggling people and communities in the world try to build relationships first rather than conduct research. That requires social skills and communication talent, which includes listening. Social retards should not be permitted in the aid and development industry. This is an industry where social profiling is necessary.
“If you go to Hollywood, or New York or any big city tourists go on tours to learn about the city and the people living there. And they take pictures. To my knowledge New Yorkers don’t complain about losing their dignity.”
Someone mentioned something about taking pictures in New York.
Well, I have a tangentially related story about that.
See, two weeks ago, my self and a few friends friends went on a tourist trip to New York. On our last night in the city, we were sitting on the steps of the Met and there was a beautiful apartment building opposite us. We tried to take pictures of the apartment building but the security outside kept waving us away. We can’t take pictures they said, we were violating their tenants privacy.
I don’t know what relevance this has to the issue but I just thought I would share that rich New Yorkers have different standards for their own property (as they should)
On the issue of slum tourism, I don’t have an opinion. I just know although I am an ordinarily good student, I failed my African Politics class last term because the Canadian professor teaching it thought Povery Porn was an awesome teaching aid and subjected the whole class to it for *at least* 40 minutes of our weekly 3 hour classes every week. I stopped attending class when I couldn’t be sure to control my temper.
That is all.
Justin,
I have to agree with E. Aboyeji on the New York observation and it’s not just rich New Yorkers. Taking a picture of a crowd would be OK, but if you were aiming your camera at individuals and they saw you, the reaction in most cases would be negative, perhaps unprintable.
Bill
My two African cents on this whole poverty tourism issue:
http://projectdiaspora.org/2010/08/11/on-poverty-tourism/
Let’s not forget that if “the tourists” are actually moved to action by what they see and bring aid and maybe end up spending time with and sharing their talent and experience with “the poor” then the problem might start to be solved and the aid workers might have to give up their land cruisers and be out of job. I am a documentary film maker and photographer. I have filmed in Kibera, Soweto, and spent 4 years working in Sierra Leone. I also lived and worked in Hollywood for 20 years. The question is not if but how. It’s not a question of dignity of the people it is the execution of the tour allowing a positive and dignified experience for both
This is a brilliant article written by a Senagalese entreprenuer Magatte Wade. It articulates many of the short-comings of slum tourism and other well-intentioned charitable ideas. I dare you to read it.
“Jeffrey Sachs’ Misguided Foreign Aid Efforts”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/magatte-wade/does-jeffrey-sachs-believ_b_217785.html
@Aboyeji, Bill
2 points
One. My anecdotal experiences have simply been different than yours. I’ve taken pictures in many different developed world cities and never been yelled at. Of course there is an etiquette to it (shoving cameras in people’s faces is a no-no for example). My point however was to question why we think Kibera tourism is distasteful while New York or Paris tourism is fine (even fun).
2. Notice how the rich New Yorker’s concern was privacy not dignity. Again why do we( and some Africans) think that their dignity is so fragile?
3. Although I agree that one’s dignity is important. I think “protecting it” is the wrong approach to take, particularly for Aid agencies. It is the height of patronization and arrogance to believe that you can protect (or diminish) someone else’s dignity. Again I reject utterly the “mother-bears” as should (I think) grown African men and women.
Okay that was three.
Oh and good story (if you will pardon the indulgence). I was just in Malawi. Took a taxi and talked to the driver about the ridiculous prices of refrigerators (I will need one) in his country. He agreed. Blamed the Nigerians and Chinese. I agreed. Then he told me one of the most awesome tales of social mobility that I had ever heard. One that spanned 4 countries, and entailed huge amounts of courage, discipline and shrewd decision-making. He then tried to buy my Malawian phone off me (I was going to the airport) in order to make an easy buck by later reselling it. I declined (I will be back). But what a go-getter!
Still it is likely that he lived in what Westerners would consider a slum (though maybe a nicer one). So could I have taken away or even diminished his dignity by a picture (or anything?) Even the thought is ridiculous. The same goes for most other African slum dwellers. Each of the them have unique lifestories that give them dignity. Pretending that Western tourists can somehow damage that only continues the arrogant conceit that Westerners are strong and Africans weak. They are not.
[sigh]
@Justin,
I don’t disagree with you but you should have read the article in question.
I don’t know many New Yorkers that will let me (a stranger) see their wives in labor. I’ll be quite interested, you know, seeing as I am not even a medical doctor.
As I have told my friends, I don’t blame poverty tourists. The fact is we are poor, and that is why they are visiting. That is what they have come to see. It is not their fault that we are poor. It is ours. The insult in coming to Accra or Lagos, not to see the exciting new tech start ups springing up everyday or new developments, but to see the worst of our cities and countries, (“the real Africa” as I have heard many of them derisively refer to these areas) is that they exist. The truth is that the best way to stop slum tourism is to eradicate the slum.
It doesn’t make it less insulting though.
Like my father told me before I left my country to study here, (literal translation) that your master spits in your face does not mean that you should lick the saliva. It is ok to spit in our faces, just don’t expect us to gleefully lick it.
So for now, do your slum tourism, no one should stop you. Just don’t think it doesn’t pain us somewhere that someone will visit our beautiful countries and the only part of the country they care about is the worst parts.
I wish the worst parts of Brooklyn and the Bronx where that much of tourist attractions.
@Aboyeji
Thanks for responding.
I did read the article in question before making any comments. And as I said, clearly there are rules of etiquette about taking photos. Women in labor are clearly off limits.
But what I find intriguing about your response is that you yourself also consider the slums “the worst of our cities” and on the other side equate shiny new “tech start ups” as the best.
I’d suggest you reconsider those judgements. Certainly tech startups are great. But so too can be the “slums” and not because I have some morbid fascination for seeing poor people, but because the slums are often the most interesting and alive parts of the cities. Why interesting? Well because that is were most of the people work, play, relax, dance, drink, and generally live. I actually find walking around the often crubbling, usually dirty, CBDs of many African cities, even with their scattered new shiny high rises, much more depressing than walking through the so-called slums.
Finally youre going a bit extreme when you state that the “only” places tourists care about are the “worst parts” of African countries. We like the elephants too.
@Justin,
I don’t think it is an issue of just photo etiquette. It seems that ‘slum tourism’ is based on viewing people during their day-to-day lives and viewing the conditions that they live in. Some people would not feel comfortable with this. It is different than going to a big city and taking pictures of buildings.
If I visited the United States and tried to take a trailer-park tour, what would the reaction be?
If I went to New York for the purpose of finding rude New Yorkers and shooting pictures of them in their natural habitat, what would the reaction be?
If I went to the Southern U.S. to photograph obese Americans eating in fast-food chains, what would the reaction be?
Aboyeji, how na?
Interesting debate. In response to Mr. Kirkpatrick’s call to have more Africans contribute to this debate, I would like to qualify that by suggesting we hear more from to Africans like Mr. Odede who add much validity to the debate. I don’t see how an African serial commentator like myself who has little knowledge about this topic will lend much credence to this topic.
That said, I know the people in the slum in my backyard right here in Washington DC will not appreciate being photographed while in labour. So what is the fascination with Africa?
No censors needed: I think the affected people can handle it themselves, if they have a problem with it. They don’t need former slum dwellers, professors or other people to protect them from tourists.
It’s ridiculous. Not visitors like violent drug lords, rebells, thugs, goons are the problem but tourists snapping fotos. I can’t imagine a more unimportant cause. It is just pc nonsense.
Everybody should feel free to encounter people.
Regarding pc: When i visit poor communities and i encounter cases where e.g. the husband gambles (e.g. cockfighting), drinks, etc. away his earnings or finances lavish festivities, while not providing for his family, which is ‘having a life’ in Will Easterly’s description, parents not sending their children to school of reasons rather attributed to priorities than ability, then i voice my opinion loud and clearly. I will tell them quiet frankly that people with higher income can afford to ‘have a life’, while they obviously cannot.
Yours, Martin Pachner, Philippines
sigh
To play devil’s advocate: what makes academics and development agents who travel on “slum tours” to take notes any better than the average joe who goes on a “slum tour”? Just because it is claimed as a profession, it is ok? But if someone decides to go in their free time, it’s not ok?
I think one of the reasons the debate has been so heated is the lack of clarity around the terms. People through out “slum tourism” and “poverty porn” right alongside “development tourism” and “voluntourism” as if these were interchangable – as if they were talking about the same things. So both bloggers here and elsewhere as well as their myriad commenters often end up talking past each other. I just spent the day reading through the latest spate of poverty tourism related blog posts (there are lots since the NYT op-ed seems to have revived the whole debate again.) I created a taxonomy of terms and definitions, using comments from various posts to frame the relevant discussion for each type. As you can imagine, I linked back here several times. My hope is that a more coherent and less shrill discussion can continue with greater linguistic clarity around the fault lines and confluence of the ongoing debate. Please see my post “Poverty Tourism: A Debate in Need of Typological Nuance” at: http://bit.ly/cNe6Hn
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