Postkoloniale Perspektiven auf "weltwärts"

The volunteer service „weltwärts“ tries to facilitate a contribution of indviduals to a fairer world. However, what kind of perceptions are involved in a volunteering service positioned in a political context coined by unequal power relations? Using postcolonial and feminist theory, the author examines the representations and structures of the program. She asks about their colonial heritage and their benefits for the participants. The discourse analysis focuses on the critical debate about concepts of development in connection with concepts of global citizenship counting as a pedagogical answer to questions of globalization. The study shows the entanglement of colonial history and the presence of engagement in development cooperation. It illustrates the necessity of a critical analysis of power relations within similar programs in order to change global injustice instead of reproducing it.