When you think about humanitarian action you might immediately think about those t responding to emergencies. But for me, it’s also about how we treat people every day. Whether we listen to people, respect their experiences and make sure they have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their lives.
Too often, the people closest to poverty, conflict, displacement, discrimination and injustice are spoken about rather than listened to. Their experiences may be reduced to headlines, statistics or stories told by others. While raising awareness is important, it must never come at the cost of a person’s dignity, safety or right to represent themselves.
At Sounddelivery Media, we believe that people with direct experience of social injustice should be at the forefront of public conversations, media coverage and policy development. The people we work with are leaders, campaigners, advocates and experts whose insights can help create fairer and more effective solutions. They are not simply “case studies.”
World Humanitarian Day invites us to reflect who is providing support, but also who holds power, whose knowledge is valued and whose voice is heard.
There is much we can learn from people and communities who have survived extraordinary challenges. Their stories can demonstrate courage, creativity, resilience and hope. Often, those who’ve experienced social injustice know how to solve these huge challenges. From our lived experience Spokesperson Network, we see time and time again communities working tirelessly on innovative solutions.
While it’s important to highlight challenges, we must be careful not to expect people to repeatedly share painful experiences simply to prove that change is needed.
Ethical storytelling must be based on trust, informed consent and respect. People should have control over how their experiences are shared. Organisations have a responsibility to consider their wellbeing before, during and after any media or public engagement.
This aligns closely with our values at Sounddelivery Media of trust, collaboration, connection and commitment.
Trust means creating environments in which people feel safe, respected and supported.
Collaboration means working alongside people, rather than making decisions on their behalf.
Connection means bringing lived-experience leaders together with journalists, policymakers, funders and other people who can help turn insight into action.
Commitment means continuing to champion these voices – not only when a particular issue is receiving media attention, but for the long term.
This World Humanitarian Day, I hope we can all reflect on how we use our influence. We may not all work on the front line of an international crisis, but each of us can choose to listen more carefully. We can challenge harmful narratives and create space for people whose perspectives have historically been ignored.
Humanitarian values should shape our organisations, our media, our policies and the way we relate to one another every day.
When people are supported to speak for themselves, they do so much more than raise awareness. They can change the narrative, influence decisions and help build a more compassionate and equitable society.
