Telling Better Stories: Where "Compassion Campaigns" Fail

Have you ever faced the challenge of summarizing a very complex issue in a succinct yet engaging manner? I have. When I was visiting home recently, I was asked about my work in counter-trafficking and what is it that I do.  I always appreciate these moments and try to share information on human trafficking and Chab Dai's work in raising the standards of care for vulnerable people and building collaboration. I can think of many examples, such as our support team working on cases of forced marriage in China, the labor cases on Thai fishing boats or the thousands of villagers and community leaders in Cambodia that are now educated on safe migration, human trafficking and/or parenting skills. But these opportunities are also challenging as I try to describe what I've been working on for the past couple of years; a process that has been so challenging and precious that it hard to put into words, let alone a 30 second response.

I found it hard to share these stories in a way that sums up the complexity of these issues in a dignified and non-sensationalist manner. And the more I talk with my peers and colleagues about the reasons for this struggle, the more I realize that others in the field are facing the same challenges. Rachel Kurzyp, the Communications Director at WhyDev, wrote in her blog post, NGOs Need to Tell Better Stories, "When I re-tell these stories and others, I feel conflicted. I want the individuals within the stories to be respected and have dignity. I don’t want them to be viewed as helpless and weak. I try to make sense of their situation the best way I can. But I know the supporters and donors don’t like to read stories without happy endings or pieces that question the world’s inequality and their part in it."

There is almost always an expectation to hear an emotionally charged story with a dramatic rescue and heroic finish. A call to action usually comes through heart-wrenching images such as a powerless woman in a prison cell or a child picking up rubbish at a garbage dump. However, such stories often fall into a narrative of saviors and victims, glorifying images of rescuers during brothel raids while other seemingly more mundane, but equally important, actions go unnoticed. This kind of "compassion" marketing oversimplifies and dilutes the stories of individuals who live in these very complex sets of circumstances.

A proven risk of these "compassion" marketing campaigns is that they end up hurting the very people they set out to help. Many of the people we see in the images and we hear telling their stories end up being re-traumatized from the constant re-living of their experiences or through the stigma they face in their communities if their stories leak out. Another risk of such marketing is that once donors get tired of the same story, they move on to a new one, resulting in a loss of funding that forces projects and cases to close down. 

Many quick-fix campaigns lack a more holistic and long-term solution. They may even misidentify the underlining problems. Even though donations to these programs are given in good faith, the solutions they support in the long run might be creating more dependency rather than true empowerment.

And at the end of the day, the individuals and communities we advocate with and for are the ones who will ultimately either benefit or be deprived.

Still, there are good examples of dignified story-telling and community engagement. Contrary to the scenarios unpacked above, there are organizations and individuals who are conscious of the complexities of working alongside those who are vulnerable. More often than not, these programs run quietly and steadily with the dedication of a team of committed staff and volunteers. I have friends and colleagues who work very hard to bring change to their communities. This gives me hope. Hope that there are good initiatives to be part of with those that are informed by grassroots strategies and can galvanize a community of well-informed people who are committed to a cause that is sustainable, and one that promotes long term engagement and commitment to maintaining the dignity of the very population they serve.

Invest in a Childsafe Holiday

Summer is the best time to jet out of town for a few days or weeks. The kids are out of school, the weather is nice, and you've got those few vacation days saved up. If you are planning on vacationing in Southeast Asia, you are likely to have loads of options for hotels and hostels, tuk-tuks and moto-drivers, resturants and taverns. Even though you are on holiday you can still uphold the ideals of the organizations you suport by choosing child safe options.

What do I mean by this? Well it's truly simple. All you need to do is choose lodgings, transportation, and dining options that follow the ChildSafe International guidelines. Child safe businesses are trained to look for sexual abuse in children. When a child is spotted in danger they alert the proper local authorities. Tuk-tuks and moto drivers are trained to help stop the trafficking before it can even happen by refusing to give information to travelers of places selling children for purposes of prostitution. Even internet cafe's are places where pedophiles can lure children, but Childsafe member internet cafes have trained staff to recognize such deviant behavior. To identify and support these business's in Cambodia visit: http://www.childsafe-international.org/CAMBODIA/CSCambodia.asp

Also, be aware of your surroundings and follow these tips from the Childsafe Network:

• Though it sounds harsh avoid buying gums, cd's/dvd's, and books from children, and refrain from giving to begging children. If you do not, it tells the child this is an easy way to make money, rather then encouraging him or her to seek education or job training.
• Purchase things instead made by parents or youth in training. Doing so supports a stable and sustainable enviornment for children. 
• Avoid situations and attractions that lead to child exploitation, this includes visiting slums and orphanages for photo ops. It is a child's home and they too have a right to privacy.
• Do not take a child to your hotel room for any reason. Even if you just want to give a child a safe place to sleep for the night, notify a local NGO or government official rather then running the risk of being caught as a pedophile.
• Avoid places that tolerate prostitution (ie... bars and karaokes that allow sex workers and johns to dine or drink together) as many of these men and women in prostitution are underage. These business clearly are under the category of exploiting minors, therefore they do not need your financial support or presence.
• Keep your eyes open. Often travelers can help local NGO's and governmental organizations by reporting situations when a child is in danger. If you see such a situation please see:  www.interpol.org or contact the local authorities immediatly.

Enjoy your Childsafe summer holiday!

A Picture Says A Thousand Words

By Guest Blogger, Becky Owens Bullard

The power of an image is immeasurable, especially when it comes to promoting awareness of an issue that people don’t exactly understand.  When we want every day citizens to engage in an issue they’d rather pretend doesn’t exist, we try to pique their interest by providing a photograph or video that they can associate with the issue – an image that will be burnt in their memory and make the issue real for them. Often times, these images that we use in awareness campaigns and community education on issues of abuse are our best chance of catching someone’s attention long enough to raise awareness and promote positive social change. Unfortunately, to inform our already media-saturated public we often resort to flashy visuals that do very little to accurately portray the crimes we hope to stop.

Image found at sf-hrc.org

Example: human trafficking.  Try looking up “human trafficking” on an image search and you may see what I mean about exaggerated or inaccurate portrayals of abuse. While there are some clever images (for example,  humans with price tags representing the idea that people are still bought and sold), the photos most commonly associated with human trafficking are of people shackled or locked in a cage. Now think about the movies you’ve seen or the books that you’ve read on human trafficking.  Most have likely contained a story line about someone who was kidnapped by a large criminal operation, thrown into a brothel and “rescued” by someone from their trafficking situation. I can’t tell you how many times I spoke with individuals when I worked on the national human trafficking hotline who were outraged about human trafficking because they had just seen this type of over-the-top image or video on human trafficking.

While these images and media portrayals of human trafficking are fairly compelling and may serve to spark interest or outrage in the issue, they are also misleading. A human trafficking case where an individual is physically chained or caged is not the norm. In fact, the “chains” that keep a victim tied to a trafficker are often the things that you can’t see – fear, shame, hope and love.

So how harmful are images that portray human trafficking victims as shackled, caged and battered? While some may argue that they are just an innocuous way to grab someone’s attention, these images often promote misconceptions about the issue and make it difficult for victims and survivors to speak out about what happened to them. For example, if someone’s understanding of human trafficking is limited to images of slavery, chains and rescue missions and they sit on a jury for a human trafficking case where they hear testimony from a victim who had a cell phone or was able to go to the store alone, that person would likely think, “this isn’t human trafficking.”

And they would be wrong. Cycles of violence and various non-physical forms of abuse are extremely common in both sex and labor trafficking. The failure to clearly communicate these dynamics is damaging to the issue as a whole and is what led me to create the human trafficking power and control wheel while I worked at the national hotline to detail forms of abuse beyond physical violence that occur in trafficking situations.

Image from Identity Magazine

Example: domestic violence. Now try an image search for “domestic violence.” You will likely see images of women and children bruised and battered, being choked, silenced and slapped. Think of the movies or music videos you’ve seen about domestic violence – they are often aggressive and extremely volatile. While we’ve started to get more creative with domestic violence images and encourage people to see beyond the physical forms of abuse (see this portrayal of verbal abuse), it is still all too common that a black eye is what is associated with abuse instead of the manipulation, isolation and emotional abuse that survivors often say are the most damaging. I can’t tell you how many times I heard the phrase, “it’s not like he punched me square in the face” when I worked as a domestic violence victim advocate in court. The pervasive images of fist punching and serious bodily injury is what the general public, as well as victims themselves, associate with intimate partner and familial abuse.

So how harmful are images of domestic violence centered on black eyes and bruises? Just like with human trafficking, the flashy image of physical injury may seem completely harmless and a way to get a non-interested citizen to agree that domestic violence is a bad thing. But think of that person that is now sitting on the jury for a domestic violence case. When they hear that the defendant threatened the victim and restrained her from leaving the house, but there were no visible injuries, they just might think, “doesn’t sound like domestic violence to me.”  Again, they would be very wrong.

These narrow images paint an incomplete picture of abuse, resulting in unintentional victim blaming. Understandably, the general public may have a hard time reconciling the reality of abuse with the images that they are familiar with and wonder “why didn’t s/he leave if they weren’t chained up?” or “is it really domestic violence when s/he didn’t get hit?”

What’s worse, these images may also persuade victims to minimize their own suffering and think, “I am not a victim because I wasn’t locked away” or “I can’t be a victim because I didn’t get punched in the face.”

While the anti-violence movement has to find thoughtful ways to educate the general public about crimes that affect millions of people each day, it is important to do it the right way. Even though it is necessary to be catchy and inventive to engage individuals who would rather not hear about the prevalence of violence, resorting to exaggerated or inaccurate images that perpetuate misconceptions does nothing but harm victims and survivors while miseducating those who can help us end violence.

So let’s be true to what we know about abuse in the images we use for our education and awareness efforts – that it isn’t all big black eyes and someone chained to a wall. Abuse is complex, psychologically manipulative and incredibly difficult to end without an accurate understanding of its dynamics. It’s time for the anti-violence movement to rise above the desire to be provocative and instead, refocus on our passion of empowering others to end violence by providing images that truly reflect the crimes we seek to eliminate.

Posted with permission from author. Originally posted on Voices Against Violence Project.

Celebrating the Architects of Society

Women are the real architects of society. Harriet Beecher Stowe

In 1910, over 100 women delegates from 17 countries came together in Copenhagen for the second International Conference of Working Women. Here, Women's Activist Clara Zetkin is known to have proposed the idea for an annual International Women's Day. The following year, meetings and rallies were held across Europe where more than 1 million men and women called for an end to discrimination against women. International Women's Day has been held annually ever since, and was officially commemorated by the UN beginning in 1975.

To commemorate this special day today, I took some time out of my busy schedule to ponder the efforts and achievements of three women who inspire me. While my list can in no way represent all the women who inspire me (whether directly or indirectly), taking the time to appreciate the work of even a select few - chosen in a very impromptu, unsystematic fashion - each of these women, each representing a different period in history since 1911, motivates me to keep going - even on those days when things seem dire and/or hopeless ::

DOROTHY DAY
Story :: (1897-1980) Born in Brooklyn, Day was an American journalist who, in her efforts to found a newspaper, ended up founding an entire movement. For its first 6 months, Day's publication - The Catholic Worker - was a publication expressing dissatisfaction with the social order. Often attributed to its immediate success is that the publication was both radical and religious. The article authors didn't just complain, but called their readers to direct action. Articles called for the renewal of Christian hospitality, especially toward the homeless; and over time, the convictions of both Day and readers alike resulted in the development of "homes of hospitality" where the homeless population could receive food and shelter. Day is also known for her pacifist stance on war.

Why she inspires me :: In comparison to what may be considered "mainstream expectations"of your average religious worker,  Dorothy Day was a person of contradiction. She was theologically conservative and politically radical at the same time. Day put her deep faith and conviction in God into direct action, even in times of opposition from other believers. Day was also extremely honest about her own depravity. In her autobiography, she gives insight into her personal struggles. When others referred to her as a 'saint' she politely declined the title saying the only reason she had achieved anything was because she was not "embarrassed to talk about God" in her own life.

Quoted :: The greatest challenge of the day is how to bring about a revolution of the heart, a revolution which has to start with each one of us.

GRAÇA MACHEL
Story :: Born in Mozambique in 1945, Machel has had the unique experience of being first lady in two different countries (Mozambique & South Africa). She is an international advocate for women's and children's rights, including an increase in primary school enrollment in Mozambique; advocating against gender-based violence in regions across Africa; and being a voice against child marriage. Alongside Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan, and her husband Nelson Mandela, she is a founding member of the Global Elders.

Why she inspires me :: Machel is a freedom fighter in the true sense of the word. Though she has faced much adversity throughout her life (limited opportunities as a child, the mysterious death of her first husband, facing serious challenges in countries where she served in political office), she has nonetheless maintained a sense of hope while advocating for good governance, equality and human rights.

Quoted :: It is the meaning of what my life has been since a youth - to try to fight for the dignity and freedom of my own people.

RACHEL LLOYD
Story :: Born in the UK in 1975, Lloyd is an advocate for young women who have been trafficked and prostituted in the United States. A survivor herself, she moved to the U.S. in 1997 and founded Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS),  now one of the largest organizations offering direct services to American survivors of child sex trafficking. Lloyd has had tremendous influence on the current movement to address sex trafficking of minors in the United States, including a direct role in the successful passage of New York's Safe Harbor Act for Sexually Exploited Youth; and has spoken out on several occasions about the influence of mainstream society on the commodification of sex and youth in our culture.

Why she inspires me :: While there is certainly no shortage of anti-trafficking advocates within the current movement, Lloyd's life and work is especially inspirational due to her passion and conviction surrounding the development of a survivor-led reform movement. GEMS' strong focus on empowering survivors to express their experiences, observations and desires - done in a way that does not appear to be re-exploitative, but rather focused on recovering self-respect, strength and resilience - is unique. It seems Lloyd has faced many obstacles in life, but regardless of these obstacles she has found the strength to overcome them and use her energy to invest in the lives of others.

Quoted :: There have been experiences I would rather not have had and pain I wish I hadn't felt - but every experience, every tear, every hardship has equipped me for the work I do now... It puts all past hurts into perspective.

FUTURE ARCHITECTS
In her speech on behalf of UNWomen today, Michelle Bachelet (another on my personal list of inspiring women) closed with these words:

"Today on International Women's Day, let us reaffirm our commitment to women's rights and move forward with courage and determination. Let us defend human rights, the inherent dignity and worth of the human person, and the equal rights of men and women." [UNWomen]

Well said.

--
Tania is Chab Dai's International Communications Director, and is based in Phnom Penh. Follow her on Twitter at @tania_chabdai.

HOPE: [WE] are ending trafficking!

Since 2005, Chab Dai’s vision has been “Christians working together to end sexual abuse & trafficking”. So the question we asked this week to our directors around the world was:

“Do you actually have HOPE that human trafficking is ending?”

And the overpowering response by each was “YES there is HOPE!”

But how could they say yes so confidently you might be asking yourselves? Because of three things: committed people, coordinated people, and people working together.

“There always is!” says Julia, Chab Dai Canada’s Coordinator…

For the past couple of years working in Canada I have met many committed people working against human trafficking who are willing to work together. There was a group of people in Montreal (TIME) who started a group called “Speak Canada”; they made postcards for people to send to the government, to pressure them to write a national strategy for combating human trafficking. This is an example of regular people who are passionateabout ending human trafficking. There is incredible HOPE!”

Helen, International Director & Founder, says confidently, “Yes there is!”…

I wouldn’t be sitting here if there wasn’t HOPE, I would have left a long, long time ago. Collaboration is key because the issue is overwhelming. When I meet 150 people in our member meetings wanting to collaborate and increase their standard of care I can say: yes, there is hope. In the last five years, I have seen huge progress in terms of greater collaboration, better organizational capacity, and a commitment to raising the standard of care for survivors.”

In Cambodia, Yeng (Country Director) also says, “Yes. I have HOPE”…

“One person or one NGO alone cannot put an end to human trafficking. The key is that we need to work together and have the same vision. The thing with human trafficking is that not everyone wants to end it because of the economic benefits people make from it and because of corruption. It is important that the work we do against human trafficking is supported at different governmental levels in the community.”

Joan, Program Director at Chab Dai USA says, "Absolutely… The fact that you are reading this right now means some progress has already been made and there is much more to come!”

Change doesn't take place in isolation. It happens when people join together to make it happen. Mahatama Gandhi didn't act alone, but his passion for India led to its independence. Nelson Mandela' s vision for racial equality revolutionized South Africa and ended apartheid. These are just two examples of people who maintained their HOPE to the very end! The fight against human trafficking and modern day slavery is no different.

Read more about Chab Dai's Core Values on our website.

:: Launch :: Media & Communications Policy ::

As you well know already, Chab Dai is committed to promoting best practices & the highest standard of programming to care for child & adult survivors, victims, and those at-risk of exploitation, or human trafficking. We believe that this same principle also applies to HOW we promote, educate, and raise funds for these programs.

We want to promote DIGNITY & HOPE, as well as ensure truth in our communications, nor compromising confidentiality or safety either. So about a year ago we started on a journey, searching high and low [in printed resources & the Bible] for best practices and examples.

And we shared these findings with our members, consulting them to glean from their experiences about how we could actually apply what we had read [book knowledge always sounds too good!]. We met over coffees, in forums with shelter directors around a large table, via email dialogues, and at our last member meeting with over 100 national and expat staff.

So we are proud to say that THIS is what WE have come up with.

We hope you will read it.

Share it.

And apply it.

Are children sex slaves? 

Are they child prostitutes?

No, and no.

Is using a picture of a crying child sitting alone in a vulnerable situation dignifying OR safe?

We don’t think so.

Even if you are not a professional photographer, working with a non-profit, or a writer, YOU DO have a responsibility.

Do you have:

Facebook?

Twitter?

YouTube?

See, you do have a voice. Use it to promote SAFETY, TRUTH, & DIGNITY!