Building a movement – Solidarity, activism and travel from North America to Nicaragua by Daniel McRoberts A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Master of Environmental Science in Geography - Tourism Policy and Planning Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2012 © Daniel McRoberts 2012 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Abstract Many new forms of tourism have emerged over the past two decades claiming to provide an alternative, responsible approach to international travel. Unlike ecotourism and volunteer tourism, travel centered on solidarity activism has not been thoroughly explored in the academic literature. Through narrative interviews conducted with organizational staff, former travelers, and members of a rural host community, this study profiles three organizations that organize solidarity travel experiences in Nicaragua. Qualitative analysis of the interviews and secondary materials including blog posts and videos reveals that staff, travelers and community members feel that they benefit from the exchanges that take place during solidarity travel. However, the study participants also articulated a number of concerns and issues with the practice of solidarity travel, including the limited nature of ongoing contact between travelers, coordinating organizations, and the communities that are visited while in Nicaragua. The experience of solidarity travel provided participants with a greater understanding of the connections between Nicaragua and North America, and a critical self-awareness for young travelers in particular, as many were experiencing the Global South for the first time. The successful translation of that exposure and awareness into activism is less certain and is identified as an area for future improvement of the overall solidarity travel experience. Overall, this study contributes to the emerging literature on solidarity travel by comparing three organizations with different missions and methods, and showing how solidarity can be enacted in a variety of ways through travel. Through the inclusion of three distinct groups of participants, this study also highlights similarities and differences related to the way solidarity travel is experienced by members of these groups. iii Acknowledgements There are number of people who have made vital contributions to this research project. First and foremost, I wish to thank my advisor, Dr. Judie Cukier, for her advice and support throughout the process as I developed my topic, prepared my proposal, and (eventually) wrote this thesis. I am also indebted to Dr. Heather Mair for the support and suggestions she provided as my committee member. Dr. Susan Arai, although not part of my thesis committee, made a substantial impact on my approach to research through her course on qualitative research methods. Thanks also to Dr. Sanjay Nepal, for his thoughtful commentary and questions as the reader of my thesis. Without the participation and collaboration of the organizational staff, travelers and community members whose words appear within these pages, this thesis would not have been possible. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me about your experiences. I owe a great deal to the entire Hernandez family – Xochilt, Sebas, Carlos, Susy, and Chani, my generous and welcoming hosts during my time in Managua. Thank you also to Michelle, who was a great help and a lot of fun to travel with in Nicaragua. Back at home, I want to thank my parents, friends, and especially Sonia, for your willingness to hear about my research and your words and work that have helped me so much along the way. iv Table of Contents 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1 1.1 The research problem............................................................................................................ 1 1.2 Scope of the study. ................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Research goal and questions............................................................................................... 4 1.4 Organization of thesis............................................................................................................ 5 2. Literature Review...................................................................................................... 6 2.1 Introduction and structure. ................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Definitions................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2.1 Hegemony, counter hegemony and solidarity tourism. ......................................................... 11 2.3 Alternative tourisms – Where does solidarity travel fit? ........................................14 2.4 Learning through experience – Solidarity travel as alternative education .....27 2.5 Explaining alternative globalization – The goal of solidarity tourism. ............39 2.6 Fair trade – An alternative approach. ............................................................................44 2.7 NGOs and social movements – Who is involved in solidarity travel?................48 3. Context – Studying Solidarity Travel in Nicaragua ........................................ 57 3.1 A history of violence – Somoza and the Sandinistas.................................................57 3.2 Revolutionary tourism or political hospitality?.........................................................60 3.3 Counter-revolution and the ‘Central America Movement’. ..................................64 3.4 Revolutionary legacies and the neoliberal present. .................................................68 4. Methods...................................................................................................................... 72 4.1 Introduction – Qualitative, reflexive research...........................................................72 4.2 Identification of organizations..........................................................................................78 4.3 Data collection and analysis ..............................................................................................79 4.4 Study limitations ....................................................................................................................84 5. Solidarity Travel Organizations – History and Background........................ 87 5.1 Introduction..............................................................................................................................87 5.2 Solidarity through peace and policy change - Witness For Peace.......................88 5.3 Solidarity through education and project work - Casa Canadiense..................98 5.4 Solidarity through fair trade promotion - UCA San Ramón .............................. 100 6. Findings.................................................................................................................... 106 6.1 Findings: Staff Stories........................................................................................................ 106 6.1.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................106 6.1.2 Joining the movement - Study, travel and serendipity. ........................................................107 6.1.3 Linking philosophy with practice.................................................................................................110 6.1.4 Preparing groups to travel, and dealing with diversity.........................................................114 6.1.5 Keeping track of transformation..................................................................................................116 6.2 Travelers Tales .................................................................................................................... 120 6.2.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................120 6.2.2 Discovering delegation travel........................................................................................................121 6.2.3 Preparing to plunge..........................................................................................................................124 6.2.4 Encountering poverty – Managua and meetings. ..................................................................127 6.2.5 Figuring out fair trade. ....................................................................................................................129 6.2.6 Barriers to understanding...............................................................................................................132 v 6.2.7 Planning for action. ..........................................................................................................................134 6.2.8 ‘I want to make a life of it’ – Changing personal paths and plans....................................140 6.2.9 Should I stay or should I go? Reflecting on the local-global debate................................146