The following guidelinesoutline some of the thingswe need to consider whenusing images, messagesand social media in ourawareness raisingactivities linked to anoverseas experience.These guidelines havebeen informed by theDóchas Code of Conducton Images and Messages

www.dochas.ie/code.This document has been produced with the financial assistanceof the European Union. The contents of this document are thesole responsibility of Comhlámh and can under no circumstancesbe regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

www.dochas.ie/codeThe Irish Association of NGOs. They have produceda Code on Images and Messages which is anexcellent guide for volunteers going overseas.

www.concordeurope.orgThe European confederation of development NGOsthat adopted the Dóchas Code of Conduct onImages and Messages at European level.

www.photovoice.orgA project working with individuals, localcommunities and partner organisations to createparticipatory photography programmes withparticipants in their own contexts.

www.majorityworld.comAn photo agency working with photographersfrom the Global South, creating visibility, marketaccess, and respect.

www.newint.orgNew Internationalist: the world’s leadingindependent publisher of magazines andbooks on global social justice andsustainable development.

www.findingframes.org.ukA UK based report on finding new ways toengage the public in global poverty.

Where can I learn more on this? Going overseas can be a great opportunity to experience and learnabout the world! But how can we most effectively raise awareness of ouroverseas experiences using social media, keeping in mind the impact ourinformation can have on people at home as well as the impact on thepeople with whom we worked in communities overseas?

ComhlámhBallast House2nd floor, Aston QuayDublin 2, Ireland

Tel +353 (01) 478 3490Fax +353 (01) 478 3738Email info@comhlamh.orgWeb www.comhlamh.org

Who will see this and what am I trying to say tothem? What are the different ways people mightview this? What will be the impact?

Take time to pause and reflect beforetaking photos or posting information.‘Think before you Tweet!’

Am I representing myself, the sendingorganisation or the host community?

If you are only speaking for yourself markthis with formulations like ‘In Ghana Iexperienced …’ instead of ‘In Ghana it is …’.

Does my host community or sending organisationhave a Code of Conduct on this issue?

Check with your host organisation andsending organisation before postingvideos, articles on the internet.

Which photographs and commentsshould I share?

Before posting a picture, consider thepotential vulnerability and victimisationof the people shown and have respectfor the subject.

If I was the person in the photograph in thatsituation, would I like my picture to be sharedacross the internet and with total strangers? Do I have permission to use the photo?

Questions to ask and tips to consider

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Comhlámh’sGuidelines for theuse of Social Mediain Volunteering

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Social media is a fast, instant communication tool with spontaneous and short interaction between users.The challenge is how to accurately represent those youlive and work alongside, and effectively communicate thecomplexities of development. There is a danger of being toosimplistic and minimising the richness of the experience.

People create change, and social media is a powerfulcommunications tool that brings people together,communicating instantaneously from differentlocations, and even sometimes while on the move.This instantaneous communicative power whentranslated into action, such as mass movements ofpeople onto the street, or via thousands of signatureson an online petition, means that social change is nowpossible at a much faster pace than ever before. The opportunity to use social media as a tool forawareness raising and action can have a powerfulimpact on our own networks and other social mediausers. Here are some examples of what is possible:

Arab Spring: this was a revolution which highlightedthe ability of people in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria toorganise political action and document their ownstruggles and their movement through social media.Outside of these countries, the rest of the world wasable to hear their narrative, not relying on officialrecords to know what was happening during this time.

Twestivals: (Twitter Festival) uses social media forsocial good by connecting communities offline on asingle day to highlight a great cause and have a funevent. Twestival is the largest global grassroots socialmedia fundraising initiative to date, born out of theidea that if cities were able to collaborate on aninternational scale but work on a local level, it couldhave a spectacular impact. www.twestival.com

Avaaz: (meaning ‘voice’ in several European,Middle Eastern and Asian languages) is a globalweb movement to bring people-powered politics todecision-making everywhere. Avaaz has engagedmillions of people to take action on pressing currentissues. Actions have included signing petitions,funding media campaigns and direct actions,lobbying governments, organising ‘offline’ protestsand events – to ensure that the views and values ofthe world’s people inform the decisions that affectus all. www.avaaz.org

All Out: is a social media campaign for gay, lesbian,bisexual and transgender people all over the world.The campaign has worked to halt the deportation of alesbian Ugandan asylum seeker in the UK, organisedto defend the immigration rights of bi-nationalsame sex couples, called global attention tohomophobic and trans violence inBrazil, and organised a flashmob in Germany to protesthomophobia at theWomen’s World Cup.www.allout.org

As a learner and guest in the country to which you aretravelling, it is worth considering ‘who are the expertsin poverty living’ and what story would they like youto bring back to people at home. You will not knoweverything about a culture following an experienceabroad, but travelling overseas can provide a valuableopportunity to enrich your perspectives and providethe inspiration to raise awareness and inform change-making from your home country.

There is the opportunity following an overseasexperience to challenge the views held bythose at home, to provide alternativeperspectives on the Global South, to challengethe simple and stereotypical images andmessages we receive – on our televisions, in thenewspapers, through charity advertising andfundraising campaigns.

l Initial observations of a place can sometimes beinaccurate, focusing on the differences rather thanthe similarities with our own culture

l The power of hindsight and reflection:observations often change over time and theimmediate thoughts when arriving in a country maynot be the same after a few weeks or months

l On return, also taking the time to digest theexperiences may minimise any negative impactand maximise the opportunity to accuratelyshare experiences with others

Sharing initial reactions immediately can haveimplications, particularly if they do not represent thewider experience. Wait a few weeks before bloggingor posting photos and record your thoughts in apersonal journal, giving yourself time to digest thecultural difference that you may be experiencing.

Think carefully before putting private thoughts andphotos on the internet. Edit your settings onFacebook to be public or private. Also considerdifferent folders for different audiences: keep onephoto album for the work you do and the other foryour leisure time. While privacy settings exist on theinternet, know that the information you post ispermanent. If in doubt, don’t post at all.

‘A picture tells a thousand words’... however the story it tells depends on the eye of theperson looking at it! The way we interpret imagesand messages depends on the information available,how it is presented and the factors that haveinfluenced our way of seeing the world. Everyonehas their own views and perceptions based on theirown experiences, and ours is only one perspective.The personal nature of social media can result insingle viewpoints being represented.

Do volunteers have a role to play in communicating messages

about development? If so, what is this role?

Whose perspectives on development are being represented?

The role and responsibility of the volunteer

Initial observations

The power of social media

Where are the opportunities within

social media to raise awareness

and reach wide audiences with the

messages you want to convey?

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