As the humanitarian and development sector reckons with its racist and colonial foundations, many actors and organizations are driving towards localization, anti-racist policies, anti-colonial programs, and supporting community-based organizations. Yet the call for an anti-racist and anti-colonial shift can’t be met without a shift in our storytelling. Prioritizing participant voices, the voices of those where the work is taking place, rather than those of Global North organizations, is an essential step.
In today’s communications and fundraising landscape, communications professionals are often swayed to consider the donor first and foremost. Sometimes even altering the individual’s story to meet the expectations of a Western audience or appeal to the heartstrings of potential donors. The Unfairy Tales animated shorts from UNICEF are just a few examples of many, as the creators added fictional elements to the story that were not accurate.
Stories hold power, and the storyteller controls that power. When we change how we tell stories, we can ensure humanitarian and development program participants maintain their agency and dignity.
What is Ethical Storytelling?
One could write a book attempting to answer this question, and many have. But at its core, ethical storytelling requires the author or creator to portray people authentically and respectfully. The people or person depicted should be included throughout the process, knowing where it will be published, what it’s being used for, and why it’s important. Transparency is key. So is informed consent, and the ability to withdraw or make changes to the story at any point. The protagonist(s) voice should be central, rather than that of an organization.
Devex pulled together a 110-page guide to ethical storytelling, which is worth reading in its entirety.
Ethical Issues with Digital Communications
Social media posts, short videos, infographics, and 6-word email subject lines have become the norm for communicating humanitarian and development work. The need for short, simple social media posts has led to people’s stories being oversimplified, often reinforcing stereotypes. You can’t possibly portray someone’s whole self in a 10-second reel, and when you share just a sliver of their story (perhaps their current displacement) you risk misrepresenting them.
“You take away my voice and soul when you misrepresent me.” – Chilande Kuloba-Warria, Founder of Warande Advisory Centre
There’s a desire for simple answers in this instant era, yet humanitarian and development situations are almost always complex, and a social media post can hardly begin to tackle nuance.
As the communications landscape becomes more rapid, visual, and digital, it’s important to keep in mind the impact those images and micro-stories can have. Visual communications have the ability to either perpetuate harmful stereotypes or empower the storyteller. Allowing people to tell their own stories makes them the hero of their own movie. Enabling them to decide how they’re portrayed, rather than making the decision for them is key to shifting agency.
A staff member at Fair Picture mentioned something similar during one of their assignments:
“For the families participating in the reportage, it was an opportunity to act as protagonists of their own story.” – Maria Muj, Project member
As a filmmaker and photographer working for a humanitarian organization, it’s essential that I, and others in our field, acknowledge that images and videos represent just a small part of an individual. We must be aware that this content can not possibly represent someone’s entire identity, and that is an issue in itself.
Looking Forward
Luckily, our audience as DevCom professionals is becoming more aware. Both younger and older generations acknowledge the existence of tropes and harmful stereotypes in stories, while donors are beginning to appreciate organizations and stories that are more locally grounded and participant-centered. Or at least so we hope.