{"id":426,"date":"2023-11-04T18:55:38","date_gmt":"2023-11-04T18:55:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpmu.mau.se\/nmict23group2\/?p=426"},"modified":"2023-11-04T19:25:26","modified_gmt":"2023-11-04T19:25:26","slug":"decolonizing-development-through-participant-led-communications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpmu.mau.se\/nmict23group2\/2023\/11\/04\/decolonizing-development-through-participant-led-communications\/","title":{"rendered":"Decolonizing Development Through Participant-Led Communications"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Whether openly acknowledged or not, neocolonialism is present in nearly all aspects of development and humanitarian work. The colonial mindset and the way it materializes in development settings impact the way we communicate about the work being done. The very fundamental power imbalances that exist between organizations and \u201crecipients\u201d in development and humanitarian programs also exist in the communications processes and products of these organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, development organizations around the world recognize the need for decolonization, or at least claim so. Anti-colonialism and the aim for decolonization are often among organizations\u2019 guiding values and principles today. As they should be. Yet more often than not, the stories we tell about development work and those on the receiving end are still being told through a colonial lens, by and for an audience in the Global North, with little creative input from the recipients of aid and participants themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For organizations to realize their decolonial ambitions, we must make a massive shift in the way we communicate. Allowing participants to act as equal partners in the creative process and lead the story is one crucial step among many in the long path toward decolonizing development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why We Need to Decolonize Development Communications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) colonial narratives found throughout development communications are damaging for both organizations and the people they support. The too-common \u201chelpless recipients saved by hero organization\u201d narrative is inaccurate, belittling, and contrary to real partnership. The people depicted in these types of narratives are often misrepresented, with their agency for self-driven change reduced. Meanwhile, the organizations lose the opportunity for meaningful collaboration, which is more effective across program implementation, successful communications, and fundraising (Bond & Amref, 2022). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, by focusing on partnership and participant-led storytelling, the development sector stands a chance to make a meaningful step toward decolonization. While this concept goes beyond visual communications, J\u00f6rg Arnold\u2019s sentiment applies to the concept as a whole: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBy decolonizing visual communications, communities that have been historically oppressed, silenced, can reclaim the narratives and challenge the power structure.\u201d<\/p>\n(Arnold, 2023)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Through trusted partnerships, development communications practitioners can tell more complete stories; stories that are culturally aware, which provide ample context, and representative of the individual or community\u2019s strengths and assets. Accurate and whole representation is vital in the path toward decolonization, as \u201crepresentation shapes our understanding of people and events. Indeed, representation produces culture by determining and normalizing values, ideas, attitudes, and identities\u201d (Etem, 2020; Said, 1978; Hall, 1997)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my previous post<\/a>, I argued that ethical, representative, and complete stories are challenging to tell through digital communications channels such as Instagram reels and short captions. By collaborating with participants and ensuring their voice is central (rather than that of the author\u2019s) we can avoid misrepresenting people and perpetuating harmful stereotypes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During an experiment in fundraising run by Bond and Amref<\/a>, community health volunteers in Kibera, Kenya, the largest informal settlement in Africa, were asked to photograph individuals they work with, write about their stories, and create a fundraising pamphlet for the organization. Amref published one of these pamphlets and tested it against one of their own standard pamphlets. The researchers recorded quantitative financial data and qualitative emotional responses, finding that the participant-led fundraising pamphlets raised slightly more money than the traditional Amref piece. They also learned through qualitative responses that many of their UK donors greatly appreciated this narrative shift, which created a stronger emotional connection with the individuals Amref supports. One donor stated, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cIt’s good to see the old paternalistic model of charitable donation give way to a realisation that Africans are capable of making their own decisions about how to help their community\u201d <\/p>\n(Bond & Amref, 2022)<\/a>.<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Another stated, \u201cthat they saw someone in control of their narrative… and making decisions on behalf of their community.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These donor responses confirm the value and need for participant-led communications. The researchers concluded that they, \u201cbelieve that this result demonstrates that when you create content that draws the donor closer not to your organization, you take a kind of a backseat in the story, but to the contributor themselves, by facilitating them to share a story of their choice in the way they choose. You help create that closeness and the result is a higher average donation\u201d (Bond & Amref, 2022)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can listen to the researcher\u2019s conclusions here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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