Stuff that bothers me: conscience tourism

[catpuccino]

I've given it a name because I don't know quite what to call it. I've thought about this for a long time because it came up a lot when I was in Cambodia. An acquaintance posted up a picture on Facebook that she took on her travels with a woman in what looks like a headscarf over a long black gown (I've looked up the terminology and can't quite

Comments

[dolorosa_12]

I saw the same photo as you, and felt similarly. A friend of mine went to Poland several years ago and visited Auschwitz, which again made me uncomfortable for reasons I couldn't quite articulate. But then again, I've been to Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, and view that as being completely different (possibly because that house is a memorial to acts of extreme courage and humanity, the consequence, rather than site of, atrocities). I imagine others wouldn't view it in such a way. I guess we all have our own personal lines in the sand with regard to this particular issue.

[catpuccino]

I'm glad you understand! I thought about Anne Frank House too and also think that it's different because it IS about hope and courage and celebrating her life. And partly because you get a sense from her diaries that she would have liked to know that it existed after her death.

And I also agree that people should be able to make up their own minds about whether they feel OK with visiting these kinds of places. And hence why I was quite upset at this girl who told me it my moral obligation to go.