We were just settling in for the night when a woman, aged from years of overexposure and smoking, marched up the front stairs to our youth hostel. She looked exhausted, as if she could not bear the weight of the backpack that loomed over the back of her head. She asked if there were any beds available. The young man at the front desk told her there was one bed left for $15, breakfast included.
Later that evening, she came back downstairs, beer in hand, and sat down with my boyfriend and I. She told us that, originally from Holland, she was backpacking her way to all the countries she has not yet seen before she dies. She sat with us for a couple of hours sharing endless amounts of life advice and travel stories.
This winter term I travelled to Costa Rica to discover volunteer opportunities and to delve into the ethical implications that volunteerism entails. I backpacked throughout the country, visiting non-profit organizations and staying in youth hostels.
Eating a family-style dinner with other guests or taking a trip to the local waterfall with people who were strangers the night before are common experiences while 'hostelling.'
Through taking the public bus and buying from local vendors, I encountered people and situations as never before and met unforgettable individuals ranging from locals to volunteers to tourists. I sat on the beach eating watermelon with a man who had never left Costa Rica but shared the same aspirations to travel as I do.
It can be easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day movement of life that we forget there is something greater beyond the limits of our country or even our city.
In his article, "Famine, Affluence, and Morality," Peter Singer refers to our world as a 'global village.' Singer says that "while the need [for volunteerism] may be more obvious to us as we can see those near us... instant communication and swift transportation have changed the situation... [This] principle takes no account of proximity or distance." Singer concludes that "if it is in our power to prevent something bad from happening, without thereby sacrificing anything of comparable moral importance, we ought, morally, to do it."
Stephen Lanning, a second year Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica says that his reason for volunteering lies in the belief that "everybody should have equal access to all things." Lanning teaches a health and nutrition class at the local elementary school, a nightly English class, and is also involved in a local conservation initiative.
Through long-term stay, volunteers have the opportunity to collaborate with community leaders and receive necessary training.
Dr. McVorran, Associate Professor of Education at DePauw, says that volunteers must acknowledge the existing structures of power that are in place. "We do not arrive with any power other than the material resources we bring with us," Dr. McVorran said. "The purpose of service is relationships, not fixing things... It's the ability to make meaningful, equal relationships where you're not condescending and you are there to learn from them."
