Sitting in front of her computer, Emma Moore couldn鈥檛 believe her eyes.
The fourth year International Development Studies student had won the $4,000 Irving & Jeanne Glovin Award for her essay, 鈥淕uilt Trips: a Personal Perspective on the Ethical Quandaries of Travel in the Developing World.鈥� 聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty great way to finish up my last year at Dal,鈥� says Ms. Moore.
Model for exploration
The award was brought to AV俱乐部 in 2003 by the Oskar Schindler Humanities Foundation. Irving Glovin, Schindler鈥檚 friend and executive producer of Schindler鈥檚 List, wanted to open a dialogue into the meaning of 鈥済ood human conduct,鈥� and how it might be taught to children and future generations.
Schindler is a model for this exploration, says Mr. Glovin鈥檚 nephew and Dal Human Communications professor George Mencher, since his personal life contrasted so greatly with his historic deeds. Despite a hard-living personal life of arguable 鈥渂ad human conduct,鈥� he saved more than 1,000 Jews from Nazi death camps by employing them in his company. 聽
Ms. Moore was drawn to the topic of travel and volunteerism for her essay, one she says is at the core of International Development Studies.
鈥淥ne of the major underlying themes of IDS is the desire to help others while acknowledging the importance of mutual respect and personal agency. I think a lot of the classes I took challenged what we perceive as 鈥榙oing the right thing鈥� when I comes to development and social justice issues.鈥�
Over and above any theoretical dabbling, Ms. Moore sought to conduct herself with 鈥済ood human conduct鈥� on her 2010 trip to East Africa.聽 She wanted to experience it respectfully and authentically, but wasn鈥檛 sure how to do this or if it was even possible.
When customizing her trip, she writes, she鈥檇 researched traditional tourism, volunteer tourism (aka 鈥渧oluntourism鈥�) and backpacking. 聽
On a superficial level, an expert in her paper argues voluntourism is an attractive and more altruistic option than regular tourism and one which fits within the concept of 鈥済ood human conduct.鈥澛� Impoverished communities receive an infusion of money and labour鈥攖he philanthropy and concept of helping those less fortunate are hard to deny are good things to do.聽
Opted to backpack
However, Ms. Moore argues, 鈥済ood human conduct鈥� in the instance of international travel isn鈥檛 that simple. Some of the main criticisms reported in Ms. Moore鈥檚 paper include 鈥渁 neglect of local people鈥檚 wishes and opinions, lack of skill and completion of unsatisfactory or unfinished work, decreased labour demand, conceptualizations of the 鈥榦ther鈥� and rationalizations of poverty.鈥� 聽
In the end, Ms. Moore and her travel companions decided to backpack. They made efforts to support local and deserving local businesses, those which are off the beaten path from traditional travel groups. They did their best to shed any preconceived notions about people and places. 聽
Despite best intentions, she writes in her essay, she knows the trip could be criticized. They did not set out intending to directly help anyone or change anything.聽 However, she does not regret the way in which they conducted their travels. 鈥ㄢ�ㄢ�淧articularly, looking back at the trip, I see the value in tourism for all the communities we passed through. I also see the value in our choice to not volunteer, and in doing so, leaving behind any paternalistic attitudes we may have held, allowing the people we met to educate us and not the other way around.鈥�
The FASS Essay Competition awards up to three $4,000 prizes each year to students who exhibit academic excellence.聽 Ms. Moore is one of four students being honoured this year:聽
- Fourth year Political Science and Economics student Conor Noseworthy won the Mushkat Memorial Essay Prize for his paper 鈥淭olerance, Hate Speech, and Conflicting Human Rights鈥� which looks at the concept of tolerance among people and nations.
- King鈥檚 student Daniel Sherwin and FASS student Brian Lam receive honourable mentions.
Ms. Moore, who would like to eventually work abroad, has a few ideas for what she will do with the money. 聽
鈥淚鈥檓 pretty sure I have more school in my future, but I would also really like to travel, so I think it will go towards one of those two things.鈥�
But first?
鈥淚鈥檓 just really excited that I鈥檒l be able to pay my rent next month.鈥�
LINK: Winning papers for the have been posted online.