One of the main themes conveyed in Little Princes is that through volunteerism one person can make a big difference in the lives of the less fortunate. Little Princes also sheds a light on the dark reality that is child trafficking. This story inspired many people to join service organizations that attempt to end child trafficking and make changes in poverty-stricken areas all over the world. Although volunteers intentions may be good, it is an undeniable fact that orphanages unintentionally fill the promises made by the traffickers. This raises the question “are western volunteers and orphanages actually enabling child trafficking?” This is an extremely complex situation and Connor Grennan struggles with this issue throughout the book.…show more content… Instead of just accepting his role in trafficking, he decided he would return the children to their parents. Grennan’s actions were extremely noble, but they were completely out of the ordinary and can’t be expected from every single volunteer. There are still many issues with Western aid, but that does not mean we should not attempt to help. Western activism is imperative to the advancement of poverty-stricken nations, and should be continued, but adjustments need to be made in order to prevent facilitating crimes like child trafficking. There are many ethical and moral issues surrounding situations like the one described in Little Princes. In class we participated in an in-depth discussion about these issues. For example, we discussed whether or not westerners should even become activists. Some students said that westerners need to help in any…show more content… One example is when he returns to the orphanage and the children are badgering him about not being married. In their culture it is rare for a man of Connor’s age to not be married. Connor was forced to adapt to their culture and explain to them why he was not married in a way they would understand. He tells the children that he cannot marry a Nepali girl because his “parents would not be there to approve of her” (113). In the book Connor explains why this was a valid explanation when he says “Over 90 percent of all marriages in Nepal were arranged marriages. The idea that I may be any different, that I could simply marry any girl I wished without my parent’s permission, was unthinkable” (113). In the case of Nepal, a culture where child trafficking is enabled, the ethnorelative mindsets must be adjusted. It is extremely important that the West does not accept these types of criminal activities when working with another culture. In Nepal child trafficking is not a part of their culture like religious tradition is. The people of Nepal would be nothing but grateful if Westerners put a stop to child trafficking. In cases like Nepal where thousands of children are being taken from their parents, sold into slavery, raped, and even killed we must enlist a mindset that in no way supports these crimes. In my opinion, direct action is the most effective way to assist
