1. Assume that the people watching your video know nothing about your cause.* In fact, as far as you are concerned, their brains are completely devoid of content and unable to grasp any complexity.
2. When it comes to death, violence, and sickness, use the biggest, most impressive figures you can find, whether or not they are true. As long as the figure was once cited by someone, somewhere, you’re in the clear.
3. If possible, make a T-shirt (or baseball cap, or we just can’t quite get over this one, a thong) and plug it in your video.
4. Do include celebrities. There are a few eloquent and well-informed celebrity spokespeople who conscientiously educate people about important causes. But that’s boring, so get the ones who spout incoherent nonsense,** and/or use really inappropriate props.
5. Most of these go without saying: include: yourself, as a savior/hero; poker** ; and Africans who are simultaneously needy and threatening (undernourished, emaciated, toting AK-47s).
6. Emotion: good. Loud music: Good. MTV-style editing: good. Good vs. evil: good. Nuance: bad. Eschew nuance.
7. Don’t waste any scarce video-seconds on how the actions you are inspiring will have an impact on the people for whom you are raising consciousness. Just go ahead and leave it out. Too complicated. Or, maybe there is no impact. There’s no time to figure it out.
*Actually, this is a real suggestion I found on an online guide to making advocacy videos.
**Favorite vacuous celebrity quote from this video, courtesy of Save Darfur Accountability Project: “We are not as ignorant as people think we are, we simply don’t know, and it’s not our fault!”
***Thanks to astute reader Andy Hall for sending us this one.
Click here for the follow-up post, How to Make an Advocacy Video about Africa, Take II.
21 Comments
If one sets aside the satirical tone and looks at your real recommendations (eg, 1. Assume that the people watching know something about your cause; 3. Do not include any reference to items/gifts that supporters can buy), do you have any evidence or experience to show that your recommendations increase the effectiveness and impact of public advocacy campaigns?
Actually, you really should assume that the people watching the video know nothing about your cause. The goal of making a video in the first place (as opposed to spending money printing brochures, for example) is probably to reach a different target audience than your typical one. This is basic communications.
This seems to be an interesting hybrid of the online guide combined with this piece.
- Steve
Until the real guide post, this video is interesting (it should match some of the previous points): http://www.theroadtothehorizon.org/2009/08/world-humanitarian-day-video.html
SOMEONE MISSED HIS (HER) VOCATION!
Should have been an NGO public relations head working with Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Madonna on foreign adoptions.
Nothing much to do with actual development here.
SS
Quick question for the author – when is the last time you went to high schools, undergrad classes, talked to your mom or someone else about issues such as sexual & gender based violence in the DRC, corrective rape in South Africa, the women’s movement in Liberia or whatever other African issue you choose (Zimbabwe, Darfur, whatever)? Most people don’t know. Remember that you are presumably working in a university and that you are surrounded by people who have access to advanced education. Please: climb out of the ivory tower: people don’t know. Or if they do, its because they saw it in an Enough video (yes this makes me gag as well).
While I agree with many of the points you raise here I would like to suggest some alternatives
1. Assume people know nothing. If they know something and aren’t ‘becoming active’ its probably because they don’t really care. Find those who know nothing but will start to care and be willing to learn when they are presented with information about some of the most intolerable human conditions in the world.
2. Back up your facts but don’t be afraid to say how bad it is. There is a reason why people should care.
3. Agreed – no thongs (like srsly?!). T-shirts are great as long as you acknowledge that they are really for your own feelings of smug superiority (as you tell people that its organic, fair trade AND promotes awareness about whatever cause) or to provoke people into asking questions about a [conflict, famine whatever] that you can presumably answer/ point out resources that can
4. Celebs = good point
5. Here is the kicker with videos – the saviour complex. Asssuming that we know how to and have the resources to ‘save/stop/end.’ I think this is the biggest problem with these videos. see way around this at number 7
6. Right. God forbid that you would talk to people in language that they understand and use imagery that appeals to them. Always assume that teenagers that sit through math class everyday want to read an academic paper about [pick your cause], assume that those who don’t are too stupid to understand whatever cause your working on anyways and that MTVesque imaging can only produce vacuous rabble. Above all make no effort to target audiences outside the university and look down your nose at those outside the ivory tower and make NO effort to reach out to them. [For the record: teenagers & undegrads= free time + lots of free cash [maybe]+ tons of enegry and passion. clearly a useless resource]
7. You have 2 minutes to impress upon someone that
a) something bad is happening in the world
b) that the viewer should care (and forward to like minded friends)
c) that the viewer can learn more and act by visiting your presumably well styled info resource base (facebook, web page..) that is filled with interesting, well researched information and ideas for action with a well rationaled justification.
somewhere in here there is a middle ground. Get out of the ivory tower already and find it.
@tanja…
Frankly speaking not everyone has to get involved in finding innovative solutions to poverty. I know there is this paternalistic mentality going around young people in the west that “THEY” can solve the problem of war and poverty but frankly speaking they just complicate issues and deride our people with their actions.
Solving poverty requires 1.) true concern 2.) personal interest. I am a teenager and I read this blog everyday and many other development blogs because this CONCERNS us. I am not the only one who does this. The countries we talk about in development I live in. The people I know; they are my family. We don’t just want to , we HAVE to help.
These kids who want a cartoon to explain complicated issues to them so they can do something “cool” or who are are just joining the “Enough” and “Save Darfur” bandwagon because its the “in thing” frankly insult me and other youth from developing countries. I see them on campus eschewing arrant nonsense about these issues instead of getting enlightened on the complexities and it frankly angers me.
Development is not for everybody. It’s a free country.
@Iyinoluwa Aboyeji
That is not an excuse for this!
Best
SS
How to Make an Advocacy Video about Africa. It’s pretty funny in a cheap kind of way. Friends and I laughed, while driving through the region we are talking about sweating in our flak-jackets.
Then I read the comment by Iyinoluwa Aboyeji. In particular the following passage:
“Solving poverty requires 1.) true concern 2.) personal interest. I am a teenager and I read this blog everyday and many other development blogs because this CONCERNS us”
Three things you need to acknowledge or at least think about:
1. The vast majority of young people in the affected places have either an immediate priority to address, or they are contributing to the further deterioration of the situation.
2. Blogs, videos, enlightened debate, and websites don’t solve poverty. Doing thoughtful hard work does – worthwhile change is ALWAYS painful.The kind of pain that spoon-fed overweened privileged kids anywhere (modern, developed, first-thru-third world) either won’t or can’t do. And in the countries you are CONCERNED about, that change could be initiated from within or outside.
3. Complex or sophisticated messages may not be insulting for you. They are for people who don’t get it.
Frankly.
Still waiting to her from Laura about her expertise and experience in public advocacy and communications, and/or basis of evidence to support her claims about best practice.
Or is this just an example of sloppy and uninformed advice about how to do things around development, of which this website is rightly so critical?
It’s sarcasm, and a justified criticism of the Save Darfur bandwagon. Try following the links.
More than a few of us are aware of the atrocious job (people) do in trying to “raise awareness.”
Let’s see some good examples – suggestions?
We have got a sotry about an advocacy video on girls education in Pakistan. Please feel free to visit to our blog and watch the video
http://recoup09.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/film-as-a-communication-tool/
It is pretty good and I recommend everybody to learn from this experience
> It’s sarcasm
Yes, thank you for confirming the bleeding obvious Mr Jones.
> and a justified criticism of the Save Darfur bandwagon
The point stands: I expect that ‘aidwatch’ critiques (even sarcastically veiled ones) should come from a position of evidence and/or expertise about what’s right, what’s effective — rather than ‘ho ho, I think this is stupid’ — or its no better than the people its purporting to hold to account.
I know you’re writing a blog here not a peer reviewed paper, but I thought that a posture of supercilious sniping was something this site’s main author made a fairly recent comment about toning down.
@ Mr Lee
Some responses:
“The vast majority of young people in the affected places have either an immediate priority to address, or they are contributing to the further deterioration of the situation.”
The immediate priority youth in developing countries have to address is never too far ever from the question of development. In the end our immediate priorities is the development of our country and the survival and protections of our families. The insinuation that we “contribute to the further deterioration of the situation” is frankly insulting. But I’ll pass. Maybe we do.
But perhaps you should also understand what larger powers are at work. Those powers are hardly ever young people even though a more representative governance system would reflect this. For example, the average age of Nigerians for example is 17 but our President is 55. We have young people make up half of the population but gerontocrats still call the shots. What does this mean? It means all of the election violence, repression etc is done, yes,. by young people but co-ordinated by older people. To designate us “the problem” simply because you have the luxury of not worrying about heading and providing for a family at 15 is disingenuous. But I wont argue. we earned the name
“Blogs, videos, enlightened debate, and websites don’t solve poverty. Doing thoughtful hard work does – worthwhile change is ALWAYS painful.”
True, but I don;t see how buying more expensive diamonds and denying poor people in Africa whatever is left of their livelihood by putting the admitted oppressors but also benefactors out of business will solve anything. Fine. IBM stops buying from Congo. What will have changed? Women will stop getting raped? Children will eat air? That is why “thoughtful” hardwork requires enlightenment. This is not a video game, its real life. There are people not animated characters involved here. Every action has consequences, huge consequences. Things are far more complicated and enlightened debate has done a lot to push us in not just “doing something” (we’ve been “doing something” for 400 years now)..but in doing the right thing! I am tired of my people being the guinea pigs every self styled savior wants to test their imaginary superpowers on. If you want to help, you have to damn well know what the hell you are doing.
Finally, let me be clear in making the following assertion. When change comes to Africa, it will come from Africans…ONLY Africans. There is no super power foreigner in this narrative. It will be young Africans, not misguided college students taking initiative to join forces to develop their people and their continent. Will we use the help of our friends in foriegn places, yes. But the kind of action Africa needs to develop is not the kind that foreigners can necessarily engage. Yes. They may save in the sense that they will alleviate our suffering but development is much more than the hand to mouth equation too many envision now. It is about creating a civilization that can survive. This means creating durable governance structures, building infrastructure, developing our own technologies, becoming self reliant. No number of aid workers can achieve this….end of rant
DOESN’T EVERYONE HAVE A ROLE?
@ Mr. Lee
“Finally, let me be clear in making the following assertion. When change comes to Africa, it will come from Africans…ONLY Africans. There is no super power foreigner in this narrative. It will be young Africans, not misguided college students taking initiative to join forces to develop their people and their continent.”
SS-
British investment helped the U.S., the railroads, Chinese investment is helping to build Africa; Chinese and African labor helped build the U.S. – it’s really one world.
My biggest worry is that Western influence has been largely involved in exploiting Africa until now and development programs only a thin veil to cover it.
SS
@Steve, Thanks for pointing people to Binyavanga Wainaina’s How to Write About Africa. This is such a great piece, wickedly funny, thoughtful and effective.
I have done my best to respond to some of the main threads in the comments in the next blog post.
Best, Laura
@Iyinoluwa Aboyeji
But for this minor lapse, “This is not a video game, its real life. There are people not animated characters involved here…”, you write very passionately. It’s admirable.
This is another strident passage:
“I am tired of my people being the guinea pigs every self styled savior wants to test their imaginary superpowers on. If you want to help, you have to damn well know what the hell you are doing. Finally, let me be clear in making the following assertion. When change comes to Africa, it will come from Africans…ONLY Africans. There is no super power foreigner in this narrative. It will be young Africans, not misguided college students taking initiative to join forces to develop their people and their continent.”
Aboyeji, Africans need lots of friends to find their way forward. The world is getting smaller by the day. Don’t be so picky about people who want to help out. If you’re fortunate enough to enlist the efforts of “super power foreigners”, investors, aid workers, older and wiser Africans (with a sense of history, humility, and perspective),and anyone else whose efforts advance opportunity and development, GRAB them with both hands. This us/them rubbish is tired and misguided.And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then I’m afraid that tells me you’re not really trying.
Frankly.
Laura,
The Binyavanga piece has me laughing on the first reading but the second reading of the same was much more painful.
This other piece affected me in the same way, funny and amusing to go through on the first read but much more painful to digest on the second.
Hmm, I take issue when people insinuate that celebrities don’t have the right to make public statements about anything other than being an actor or singer or celebutant. While I acknowledge that using a celebrity to promote a cause is a marketing ploy, I believe that a celebrity has just as much of a right to a political view or opinion as anyone else. In fact, I appreciate hearing that they have opinions on things other than a script or a small, small dog.
Do they sometimes sounds stupid or misinformed? Yes. Did Paris Hilton campaign to “rock the vote” in 2004 and then forget to register to vote herself? She did.
But the politicians, consultants, analysts, and journalists who are supposed experts on elections, development, social unrest…what have you…do stupid things too. You’d think we’d be more critical of that than of Nicole Ritchie suddenly pulling her head out of Hollywood long enough to learn where Congo is and what is going on there. I say, gold start Nicole. Keep going.
Interesting debate. Some of this is outside my area of interest so I will focus on the aspects of campaigning (including informing people of situations and mobilising them to take action). I have worked in human rights advocacy for 10 years and am currently taking a year out to look at the use of visual media in social activism. As one contributor noted, it would be helpful to see good examples. This is one of the things I am looking for and trying to collate on my blog (www.therightsexposureproject) – as such I am very interested in receiving links from people on this.
What I have learnt – which may be bleedin’ obvious – is that each communication needs to be specific to the target audience. Designed with knowledge of the audience. This means knowing what they already know and respond to, but also widening and giving depth to include the complexities. Many communications fail on this part and this may be the reason why we see the same old same old again and again (though some may argue that ‘the same old’ still brings in the money and gets people moving – there is evidence to support both sides of this argument, and much of the criticism of ‘same old’ is the way it describes / pictures the world, and thus the way it chooses to motivate people, rather than it doesn’t work). I remain unconvinced by the ‘compassion fatigue’ argument, rather that we have a ‘solution fatigue’ problem. As such I think communications should include problem, solution and results (told you it was bleedin’ obvious!). The ‘smiling child’ is in some ways just as much a manipulation as the ‘starving child’ (to put it simply) and we should be careful letting the pendulum swing too far the other way where details will be lost. Another issue I have come across in what could be described as ‘best practice’ is reducing the gap between your audience and those impacted by the issue that needs changing. Doing this through empathic connection, showing the similarities in peoples lives (rather than the vast differences) may help people feel less distance and get more involved. There is much that can be said about this and the way we view / respond to ‘the Other’, but good use of multi-media by journalists and NGOs can prove a powerful tool in bridging gaps. This is easier said than done, and must demonstrate where possible people’s agency (their efforts to change the situation themselves). The best examples of the use of visual tools for advocacy look to link people in virtuous ‘conversations’ rather than linear ‘witnessing’ around the issues. This helps find appropriate roles for each participant, be they a community activist in a Mumbai slum, or a college kid in France. Digital technology and the internet are assisting this. An example is the community video units set up in parts of India by Video Volunteers that are staffed by community members, content informed by community members, and products screened in those communities. They are looking at how these units, where appropriate, can be linked to local, national and international activism to bring more force for change.
Lastly, we need to look at communication strategies broadly and not just one product, like a video, to assess their worth. We should also understand that NGOs are not the only ones responsible for informing people about the issues. Our education systems also have a large role to play, as well as other government agencies and the media. The video critique is amusing, for sure, but it is always easier to pick something a part than build something yourself.