Rhetorical Analysis Of Ivan Illich's To Hell With Good Intentions

Ivan Illich’s speech to the Conference on InterAmerican Student Projects entitled To Hell With Good Intentions is ironic, seeing as he criticizes humanitarian efforts in Mexico and Latin America to the people who volunteer to help these impoverished countries. His opposition to missionaries does not stem from personal views against helping others; rather, from the impact that is actually made upon these nations. Illich’s message that American missionaries are harmful despite their good intentions should be taken to heart by all American aid workers in order to reduce the negative impact of boasting American culture into impoverished Latin American nations. My initial reaction to Illich’s speech was one of disbelief—not at the subject matter itself, but at the audience to whom the subject matter was delivered. Making such a statement at a convention of American missionaries is a bold move, and was surely met with mixed reactions from those in attendance. After reading the speech a second time focusing on the content, I realized that Illich was correct in his argument. On the

Although most of my involvement has centered around politics, where I have been an active volunteer in the current election cycle, my service also extends to the homeless community in the Quad Cities. After recognizing the extent of homelessness in Davenport, my friend decided to start a nonprofit 5K to benefit a local shelter and I immediately joined in the venture. By working with the shelter rather than independently, we were able to avoid the faults set forth in To Hell With Good Intentions. Our good intentions have donated over $10,000 to King’s Harvest Ministries, who uses funds in a way that raises the standard of living for the local homeless