Doing Justice to Solidarity: How NGOs Should Communicate

Abstract

Much NGO (Non-Governmental Organisation) fund-raising and publicity concern disasters, emergencies and the immediate relief of suffering. Donations and support may follow but they are prompted all too often by a superficially informed compassion or guilt with donors having little understanding of the results of their action. For all their impact, such campaigns can amount to demagogic sentimentalism leading to 'compassion fatigue' and lack of sustained support once media attention moves elsewhere. They thus undermine the unique mission of NGOs themselves. This paper urges a different and more strategic approach to communication by NGOs, one which takes account of their unique status and their mission to promote solidarity. It argues that as well as solving problems of underdevelopment, NGOs need to remain independent and to shape public opinion if they are to flourish. And for this they need stable funding from informed donors giving in a spirit of solidarity to support development carried out explicitly in the name of human solidarity. The paper sets out guidelines for NGOs to communicate in ways likely to gain the support of such donors. And it describes the la Florida project in Columbia as an example of how the beneficiary can -in the spirit of solidarity -be brought to the centre of NGO action and communication. Solidarity and Compassion FatigueAs they try to raise public awareness, the media and NGOs often present dramatic and negative images of the disasters and catastrophes that result from underdevelopment -on the principle that extraordinary events and bad news are always newsworthy. Rarely can there have been so many strong calls for solidarity or displays of unacceptable realities accompanied by reproachful language. But this frenzy in the name of solidarity is nothing more than a skin-deep and fragile phenomenon; its commitment is not rooted, is restrained and partial -and lacks true involvement. 1