Ethical storytelling: An approach to ensuring truthful community representation and ownership

Storytelling is a powerful tool that’s been used since the beginning of time. Historically, understanding morals was often at the heart of why stories were told, reinforcing positive behaviours and encouraging us to connect and evolve as human beings. In line with storytelling, representation is how we make sense of ourselves and our surroundings, including our knowledge of the world.

But the reasons for storytelling and representation can vary, particularly in the international development sector where meeting the needs of an audience - mainly those who give funds - is often prioritised. Most of us will have seen the all too familiar adverts showing an African child with a seemingly full stomach held by a delicate frame. Images like these shape audience perceptions and understandings of international development and, most importantly, the places and people shown in the images. 

The recent BBC News article, “We knew Christmas before you' - the Band Aid fallout" discusses the Christmas hit’s problematic lyrics and over-simplistic, stereotypical representation of an entire continent - describing it as a place "where nothing ever grows; no rain nor rivers flow". In a statement by Bond, a UK network for organisations working in international development, Lena Bheeroo, head of anti-racism and equity, said “Initiatives like Band Aid 40 perpetuate outdated narratives, reinforce racism and colonial attitudes that strip people of their dignity and agency”

This oversimplification offers the audience - often sitting outside of the continent - little room for meaning-making. These decontextualized depictions of deprivation limit engagement with the images and wider context. Intentions, language and cognitive biases continue to influence the storytelling process, putting the authenticity, intention and ownership of stories into question and in turn reinforcing harmful stereotypes and fuelling misconceptions.