On your program, you will learn skills for allyship—the lifelong work of building relationships of trust, solidarity, and accountability with marginalized individuals or groups. You will practice allyship by learning the local language, observing culturally appropriate behavior, putting money into the local economy, and approaching your experience from a learning mindset. Many of the communities we visit carry histories of oppression and/or exploitation. As foreign visitors, we may hold power due to aspects of our identity (wealth, nationality, etc.). For some of us, we may even come from a country or community that has a history of exploiting the people we’re visiting. We work to become allies with host communities by centering their voices and stories, continuing to listen and learn, and reflecting on our own identities, privilege, and unconscious bias.
Another key place to learn about allyship is within your student group. Traveling to a new country is a different experience for everybody based on our backgrounds, identities, and personalities. By recognizing that your peers have different lived experiences than you, you can begin to develop empathy with other people’s experiences. For example, in many countries, female-identified students deal with different cultural expectations than their male-identified peers. LGBTQ+ students may have to navigate challenges different from their straight or cis-gendered peers. Students of color may also experience different treatment than white students. Students with heritage in the program location or region may be held to different standards than students who are visibly different from the local population.
For students from the United States traveling on domestic programs, the topics of identity and allyship are even more relevant and important to engage with. Our courses within the United States explore the different identities and experiences of their fellow participants within their home context, learning to see a once-familiar environment with new eyes. Students on domestic programs hear from indigenous and other historically marginalized voices, and learn about how they relate to the more painful aspects of the history and current realities of the United States. Instructors and alumni of our domestic programs have shared that because these conversations are closer to home, the experience is even more challenging and rewarding.
One of the best ways to start showing up as an ally for your peers is to listen to their experiences and respect their requests for support. You can begin this process by reading the Dragons resource Traveling as YOU: A Guide for Specific Identities.
