Radi-Aid: an example and guide to effective and dignified representation
Radi-Aid is a call to action interested in how national development is communicated and questioning how western media, aid organisations, and academia often portray developing countries in a way lacking nuance and only focusing on poverty and conflict. This can lead to compassion fatigue for viewers with many campaigns being counterproductive by simplifying messages and obscuring actual causes of poverty and the local communities’ capacity for improvement.
Radi-Aid creates culture jamming videos which challenge the stereotypes and tropes often used in campaigns by highlighting issues with the way developing countries are often portrayed as hopeless with inhabitants’ passive victims in desperate need of a white saviour.
They have also created an Oscar style award ceremony which allows everyone to nominate and vote for the best and worst campaigns. This works to create a public sphere for discussion on representation and shames organisations into changing their tactics by scrutinising their campaigns. It also provides an opportunity to promote and endorse campaigns showing real people with agency, promoting hope rather than guilt.
The website has resources to guide those interested in using images of people. It also functions as an example of how a campaign can use a variety of methods and platforms to achieve its goals along with providing much food for thought and examples. It applies itself to everyone.