Does charity have an ‘image problem’?
Al JazeeraFundraising appeals are often criticised for using negative stereotypes, but NGOs say other tactics often don’t work. “Nobody believes you can solve global poverty with $5 a month, but that’s what the rhetoric of NGOs was claiming,” said Martin Kirk, former head of campaigns for Oxfam and co-author of the report. “But if we keep implying that global poverty is something to be solved with paternalistic charity, we can never move the public to understand that these are man-made systemic problems that need long-term systemic actions.” According to Kirk, many NGO officials agree a new approach to discussing poverty is needed, but the need to fundraise has blocked any real change. For instance, Gemma Sherrington, director of new ventures and communities at Save the Children, told Al Jazeera: “We have a range of goals that differ depending on the campaign – and I don’t think there’s any contradiction between those goals.” ‘Things will simply have to change’ Meanwhile, NGOs are coming under increasing criticism from those in the global South who are unhappy with how their countries and people are portrayed. So when they see simplistic stereotypes, they sit back and think, ‘something is wrong here’… Over time, and whether or not Western NGOs drive it, things will simply have to change.” The original Band Aid campaign helped to entrench the idea in the West that charity is the solution to global poverty.
History of this topic
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Daily Mail
Opinion: Not another revival of Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’
LA Times
Band Aid sang ‘feed the world’ 40 years ago – where is hunger still an issue today?
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Bob Geldof says he’ll ‘chat’ to Ed Sheeran as listeners call Band Aid 40 song ‘awful’
The Independent
Band Aid has done a huge amount of good, but Ed Sheeran's right: it's portrayal of the continent where I grew up is outdated, writes ESTHER KRAKUE
Daily Mail
Your Turn: How Are Poor Countries Portrayed By Aid Groups And The Media?
NPR
Band Aid 30: Fuse ODG turned down Bob Geldof single over 'negative' image of Africa
The Independent
United Kingdom: Charity begins at home
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