Stepping aside: a new approach to development content
Both the pandemic and the global conversations around racism, representation and identity have brought to the fore some big - and long overdue - questions for the aid, development and international humanitarian sectors; particularly for those who prepare results/impact content, or people managing the project evaluation cycle.
What responsibilities do those trusted with telling another person's story have? Who owns that story? And what happen's to that person's story once a story has been published, footage graded, images posted, etc?
These are big, messy questions that I've been fascinated by for some time. During the pandemic I've been able to put in place some pilot projects that will hopefully help - even a little - to change the way organisations like the one I work for (The World Bank) report back on the impact of their projects and their work. Ideally, this them helps ensure communities are more appropriately, accurately and respectfully represented. And that communities feel empowered; not exploited.