Considering Politics, Human Rights and Inequity When You Travel

04/12/21 • 47 min

What is our responsibility as travelers to follow politics, current events, and human rights issues in a destination we are interested in visiting? And should we be avoiding places where we believe the government carries out unethical policies? Travel invites us to explore faraway cultures and environments, yes. But it also invites us to look inside ourselves and examine our personal values. This episode is about just that.

First we speak with Dr. Anu Taranath, a teaching professor on issues of diversity, racial equality and social change at the University of Washington. Dr. Anu recently wrote an award-winning book called Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World.

We also call up Simon Lynch, director of sales for Luxury Travel Group, the parent company of Scott Dunn, a conscientious bespoke tour operator. Simon shares Scott Dunn’s efforts to work with locally owned and operated businesses in each of their destinations to ensure tourism dollars directly benefit communities.

Previous Episode

Touring Tasmania’s One-of-a-Kind Wildlife, History and Food

Cut off from mainland Australia by the Bass Strait for more than 12,000 years, Tasmania retains a sense of isolation and mystique. However, as Eric discovered on a two-week road trip, the island is home to some of the country’s most fascinating and sustainability-focused travel experiences.

We begin by interviewing Clyde Mansell, an elder of Tasmania’s Palawa community and founder of an Indigenous-owned and operated multi-day trek through the Bay of Fires along Tasmania’s dramatic northeast coast called wukalina walk.

Next, we check in with Wade Anthony, who founded Devils @ Cradle to help preserve Tasmania’s unique marsupials through focused educational and breeding programs.

Finally, we called Rodney Dunn, the food writer, chef, and farmer who started The Agrarian Kitchen cooking school back in 2007, just as Tasmania’s burgeoning food scene was starting to take off.

Next Episode

How Tourism-Based Charities In Kenya Are Adapting to COVID

Eric traveled to Kenya with Micato Safaris in partnership and the Elewana Collection of lodges in December, reassured by both organizations’ stringent COVID health protocols.

While staying at Elewana Kifaru House in the biodiverse Lewa Wildilfe Conservancy, Eric spoke to the CEO of Lewa, Mike Watson, about how the conservancy is persevering through tough financial times with projects like rhino anti-poaching activities to protect the area’s animals, and micro-lending programs that help local women support their families.

Back in Nairobi, Eric visited Micato Safaris’ philanthropic arm, AmericaShare, which runs a community center in one of the city’s largest slums and underwrites the education of hundreds of students each year. He spoke to AmericaShare’s country director, Albanous Gituru, about all the efforts the organization has been making throughout COVID to ensure that its students remain connected to educational resources during these challenging times.