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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I’m truly not trying to start something, but as a 60 yr old liberal who sent my kids to public schools that weren’t predominantly white, and ended up with kind level headed young adults who i think/hope  are pretty solid humans- one presented a paper on mitigation of gang cartels and resources in Central America etc affecting migration. The mom white students have gone after his ‘white savior’ attitude being ‘problematic’, now I’ve looked it up and there are real important reasons we recognize the difference between patronizing causes and championing. But are we getting to a place where it isn’t acceptable to represent potential solutions in a browner world without justifying why? Anyway, just wondered if anyone has found this labeling uh... problematic. [/quote]

My kid who entered college wanting to do international humanitarian work has abandoned that goal because "you just can't be a white person in that field." Just being white and wanting to apply yourself to global poverty or women's empowerment in other cultures makes you a "white savior" apparently. I do think it is a cultural moment and that the pendulum will swing again, but it makes me sad. [/quote]

I am a international development professional, and you can absolutely do this work as a white person. The idea that you cannot runs 100% counter to my experience in this field, my experience as a hiring manager, and a look around my own organization and those of our peers.

If your child didn't want to do this work, that's fine, but there's no nationality or racial check. However, as white people, we need to work hard to transfer power and authority to local communities, to lift up local voices, etc. That sometimes means that we (North American, Western European, white folks) end up playing a background support role to local leadership. That is as it should be. [/quote]

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