Conscientious Emigration is an intentional approach to moving abroad that prioritizes cultural awareness, respect, and minimizing negative impacts on the new host country. It is a model of ethical and socially responsible migration, developed in contrast to a more colonial or entitled mindset often associated with some “expat” communities.
Core principles of Conscientious Emigration
- Cultural awareness and humility: This involves learning the language, customs, and social norms of the new country. The conscientious emigrant adapts to their new environment rather than expecting the community to adapt to them.
- Respectful behavior: The approach emphasizes civility and integrity in all interactions with the local community, avoiding the sense of superiority or entitlement that can be problematic in some foreign residents.
- Minimizing environmental impact: The conscientious emigrant makes intentional choices to reduce their ecological footprint. For example, they might renovate an existing home rather than building a new one that requires deforestation.
- Reducing economic pressure: This involves being mindful of one’s economic impact on the local economy. Conscientious emigrants are sensitive to issues like gentrification and inflation and seek to avoid driving up the cost of living for locals.
- Non-competitive economic activity: Rather than starting a business that directly competes with local enterprises, conscientious emigrants look for ways to earn a living that do not create economic pressure on the community.
- Social responsibility: At its heart, the process encourages emigrants to consider their presence in their new home with a sense of social responsibility. They seek to balance their personal needs with a positive contribution to the new community.
Conscientious Emigration vs. “Expat”
The term “Conscientious Emigration” was developed to distinguish a more ethical and mindful approach from the traditional “expat” model. While many expats are respectful, the term has sometimes been used to describe foreign residents who are perceived as living in a foreign country with little regard for their impact on locals.
Conscientious Emigration explicitly rejects this mindset by encouraging individuals to critically examine their personal, cultural, economic, and environmental impacts before and after relocating.