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White saviourism

White saviourism reinforces colonial power dynamics in global health by positioning Western actors as benevolent helpers and local communities as passive recipients of aid. Decolonizing global health means dismantling this narrative and promoting equitable partnerships that recognize the agency, expertise, and leadership of those most affected by health injustices.

This list is ever-evolving, and will be continuously updated.

If you have any relevant resources you want to share, please reach out to decolonizingglobalhealth@gmail.com

Resources

  • Abimbola, S. (2019). The foreign gaze: authorship in academic global health.

  • Abimbola, S. (2024). The foreign gaze- Essays on Global Health. 

  • Cole, T. (2012). The White Saviour Industrial Complex.  

  • Banjeree et al. (2023). Are we training our students to be white saviours in global health? 

  • Nixon, S. (2019). The Coin Model of Privilege and critical allyship: implications for health.​

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Poetry​​​

  • “The White Man’s Burden: The United States and the Philippine Islands”, Rudyard Kipling 1899 

  • “The Black Man’s Burden”, H.T. Johnson 1899  

  • Kipling's "The White Man's Burden" and Its Afterlives, Patrick Brantlinger 2007 

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