“Historically, the aid and development sector has gone for a very simplistic view of the communities that we work with, and that has seeped into the images that are used across campaigning and fundraising, but also across communications and into the narrative that we use,” says Lena Bheeroo, a committee member of the CharitySoWhite campaign group and a working group member of The Racial Equity Index.
“Rather than having individual stories being told and actually authentic storytelling that truly reflects the reality of communities that we work with, we’ve gone for bigger, broad brushstrokes,” she said, adding that these lack nuance and fail to explore the lives that communities are leading and why.
COVID-19 and racial equity conversations led by Black Lives Matter and others have shone a light on inequality, raising awareness about the need for change, and instilling energy in those committed to delivering it.
For the aid and development sectors, this represents an opportunity — both to reflect on how its own narratives have contributed to power imbalances in the past, and to spearhead a more ethical style of storytelling.
Read this visual story and join Devex as we explore the ways in which the current climate has injected more urgency into the need to make storytelling more ethical, accurate, and dignified and how to ensure any positive change is long-lasting.
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