That the World May Know: Baring Witness to Atrocity written by James Dawes dives deep into humanitarian aid and tells the stories of aid workers and their experiences in this sector. Dawes takes the task of standing on the outside and explaining what it is that goes on in the aid sector. As he states in the very beginning, “This book is about those who decided to do something. It is about their struggle to make sense of the things they’ve seen, the price they have paid for their commitments, and what difference – if any – they feel they have made” (Dawes 1). By “doing something” Dawes means to go and help those that are vulnerable and need it (Listoe).

In one story, it is claimed that there is a moral imperative to act. We have talked about in great length in class what the humanitarian imperative and the importance of getting involved and aiding others (SOC 376). But, how does someone know what is actually good for the victim? Dawes asks these questions which made me reflect on our class discussions and also Letters Left Unsent by J., which I had just recently read. Dawes, and J., question how we know when it is our place to go in and offer aid (J). Dawes focuses greatly on work that is done from the wealthier global North going in to “save” the poorer societies in the global south. He also explores the idea of how one then chooses to talk about it and what the results of doing so are.

How does reading this book inform or otherwise impact how you are dealing with the assignment to create a PSA video about some issue we have discussed in class?

As well as telling many stories about humanitarian aid workers, That the World May Know also impacts the reader’s perspective on how you tell these stories. Earlier in the course we were given the task to great a PSA video. My group focused on what members of the Elon Community think it means to be a global citizen. We wanted to hear their unique opinions and make the viewer of the PSA think about the question, and how they perceive what a global citizen is. After reading Dawes’ book, I believe there are some flaws in our PSA. There may be many conflicting opinions over what a global citizen is because it is a has a different meaning for everyone. Someone may not know what a global citizen is and not be able to express it. However, I don’t think it is too touchy of a subject that it would cause a lot of controversy like some of the stories and conversations that Dawes mentions. He goes into the idea in his book that telling certain stories and experiences can impact others and be traumatic. Everyone has different experiences and it is important to respect and understand that. I think that that is why many PSA’s can be difficult because they surround hard topics, and many of the issues we have discussed in class can be controversial to some. It can be challenging to know whose responsibility it is to spread these messages and which stories are worth possible consequences.

I think that it is important that stories of these tragedies and hard issues are told. Dawes reflects on how telling stories of these events keep them alive and recognized. I think that is why our PSA’s are important. Even if it may be controversial, someone has to say it, it is just important to make sure one is saying it in the right way. Dawes also talks about the media and its role in how people view humanitarian aid and different crises. The media can play a positive or a negative role in telling the stories of crises. When the public only hears about a crisis from one perspective it is what they are going to believe, so if told correctly the media can inform people and hopefully benefit those that were impacted.

Image of a riot against humanitarian aid.

References:

Dawes, James. That the World May Know: Bearing Witness to Atrocity. Harvard University Press, 2007.

J. Letters Left Unsent. Evil Genius Publishing, 2014.

Listoe, Daniel. “That the World May Know: Bearing Witness to Atrocity .” Comparative Literature Studies, Penn State University Press, 5 Mar. 2009.

SOC 376: “Being/Becoming a Global Citizen”

From Dawes we learn that words matter, language matters.  On page 223 he quotes Hong Ying,

“Everything I narrate / seems to have lost its meaning.”

And then on the next page this from Gilbert Holleufer, 

“The language disincarnated, it disembodied reality, and they [the affected community] know it.  They know we are disembodying their reality, we are dissolving it into words. ….Humanitarian language is part of the threat they have.”

Reflect on how the media depicted the humanitarian crisis that you researched for class (or any of the others presented by your classmates).  What language was used to describe the situation and the lives of those in the affected community? How does this language affirm -or not- the points Dawes is trying to make?  

_______________________________________________________________________________

What may not come as a surprise is the heavy use of the word crisis when describing the conflict in Venezuela. When researching what exactly has left the Latino country in such unrest, I was led from a leadership dispute, to a myriad of issues. The headlines don’t detail just one, but multiple crisis including: economic, political, migrant, and GBV. The accompanying articles often also provide graphic imagery of starving children and violent protests. What is interesting though, is that this dedication to highlighting what’s wrong in Venezuela has only recently begun. I first thought that because many of the articles I had found were recent publications- that these issues were recent as well. But when looking at a timeline of Venezuelan history, I realized that wasn’t the case at all. There are blatantly significant stages of worsening recorded by respectable sources for the past ten years. Venezuela had not only been collapsing for some time, but by 2014 was in a fully-fledged economic and political “crisis”. So why then are the problems of Venezuela being so forcefully propagated now? I won’t pretend that I truly know enough about the situation or about humanitarian aid work to answer this as fact- but from both the research I have done, and Dawe’s explanation of the use of language, I have two theories.  They go hand-in-hand, the first being that the many crisis in Venezuela progressed to the point at which they’re at now because the world choose to ignore them. The second being that because the country is now in such complete turmoil, the language and propaganda has to be especially aggressive. Had we have sent help when the problems were first rooting, we may have had different narrative, and a different outcome.

So, what was the media saying in the earlier stages of Venezuela’s collapse? In almost every case, news coverage formally recognized Venezuela’s declaration of recession but dismissed the idea that it would get significantly worse. The United States media blamed the downturn as a consequence of socialist policies and over-spending. Diego Moya-Ocampos, senior political risk analyst for the Americas at HIS stated: “We have no concerns over Venezuela’s capacity to pay in the one-year outlook”. It was also a widely accepted expectation for the country to use the remains of the government savings to bring the country back to break-even. But if you look at the data being released at the same time as these dismissive news-breaks, to expect anything of the sort was completely unrealistic. It is popular information that Venezuela is home to the world’s largest oil reserves, and so if they were capable of operating the market efficiently, they have the potential to become incredibly powerful. This assumption unfortunately masked the reality of Venezuela’s vulnerability. In this case it is difficult to apply Dawes argument against humanitarian language, because little is said. The first quote,

“Everything I narrate / seems to have lost its meaning.”

… is interesting to consider in the context of 2014 Venezuela. What was being said had not “lost meaning” but rather re-assigned it. What was publicized wasn’t necessarily the whole truth and so there wasn’t much to consider. However, the second quote…

“The language disincarnated, its disembodied reality, and they [the affected community] know it.  They know we are disembodying their reality, we are dissolving it into words. …. Humanitarian language is part of the threat they have.”

…is very much true, in a different context than Dawes intended I think, but true nonetheless. The reality of Venezuelan citizens was very much disembodied, disconnected, and honestly destroyed. What was happening was being ignored, and the humanitarian language that should have been assigned to the situation was lacking.

(This is an example of the news response during early stages of the crisis)

(These are the more recent headlines)

On the other hand, media releases coming from Venezuela were even more misleading. While the citizens, businesses, and associates of the country recognized and vocalized the problems occurring- the government worked alongside the media to control what was published about both their economic and political faults. Though the world was never “Blacked-out” from the country’s issues, most TV and radio channels are either owned by the government or subject to self-censorship. Jon Allsop, from Columbia Journal stated, “The government frequently discredits negative reporting as propaganda invented by a hostile world media, pushing counter-narratives that flat-out deny the existence of many of the country’s problems.” I wouldn’t consider this as an excuse for the dismissive nature of the United States and other world leaders, but it certainly didn’t support any sort of call to action.

Looking to the present publications concerning Venezuela- the first and most important change, is the tone taken to describe the situation. Whereas before it felt as though I was reading about simply foreign news, not a real crisis, and no call for concern- the more recent writing is graphic, and argues for immediate aid. (I’ve attached a particularly graphic NY Times post at the bottom) One thing that the media is getting absolutely right is the tense with which they speak about the state of Venezuela. While they may not have well-enough publicized the problem as it developed, new writing does recognize that the country’s political and economic system isn’t collapsing but has rather collapsed. Unfortunately, though saying this is accurate, the depth to which they push the idea is rather sensitive. The articles have begun to predict the problems in Venezuela so horrifically, it may seem to some that they are beyond repair. Writers should caution themselves against painting a picture so fervent, that the cry for help is lost. Much like Dawe’s argues when quoting Hong Ying, neither an emotional evocation or analytical presentation will move people to help. Your words must connect on a human level to inspire humanitarian action. I think that the best way to do this is to use as much conversation as possible from the Venezuelan citizens themselves. There cannot be a more accurate way to tell someone’s story than simply have them tell it themselves. When considering who has the right to speak on a situation, or represent the victims of a crisis it largely depends on the state of that crisis and position of those victims. We ignored the beginnings of Venezuela’s disintegration, and their government continues to muffle their voices. I think we owe it to them, to speak on their own behalf for if it was not their right to do so before, it most certainly is now.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/17/world/americas/venezuela-children-starving.html

Below are some of the most recent pictures of the Venezuelan crisis, such images as these are what is being so included in nearly all recent articles (even if the articles aren’t about rioting/protest)

Allsop, Jon. “Venezuela’s War on the Press.” Columbia Journalism Review, CJR, 25 Jan. 2015, www.cjr.org/the_media_today/venezuela_crisis_maduro_trump.php.

Constable, Simon. “Doomed Venezuela: This One Number Shows Just How Bad It Is.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 8 Mar. 2019, www.forbes.com/sites/simonconstable/2019/03/08/doomed-venezuela-this-one-number-shows-just-how-bad-it-is/#2470fcac48a8.

Nagel, Juan Cristóbal. “Venezuela’s Political Crisis Hits the Streets.” Foreign Policy, Foreign Policy, 13 Feb. 2014, foreignpolicy.com/2014/02/13/venezuelas-political-crisis-hits-the-streets/.

Shaffer, Leslie. “Is Venezuela Headed for a Default?” CNBC, CNBC, 8 Dec. 2014, www.cnbc.com/2014/12/07/is-venezuela-headed-for-a-default.html.

Specia, Megan. “What Is Happening in Venezuela and Why It Matters.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Apr. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/04/30/world/americas/venezuela-crisis.html.

staff. “Venezuela Profile – Timeline.” BBC News, BBC, 25 Feb. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19652436.

Question:

One of the first wisdoms of sociology is that everything is connected to everything else.  Anthropologists call this cultural integration. When doing a functional analysis the social scientist looks at the social phenomena in question and probes deeply into not only the obvious and manifest functions that are present -what the phenomena in question is intended to do and what impacts on the major institutions and groups of the society- but also and aggressively the many unintended (both positive and negative) latent consequences of this phenomena. On page 16 Dawes asks, “How do we weigh the unforeseen and often unforeseeable negative results of our humanitarian interventions?”  Does Dawes offer any answers to this important question?  What are your answers to this question?

Everything is connected to everything else. We as humans are mirrored neurons; a social species connected through each other and define each other. To put this simply: “I am because you are”, our actions simultaneously communicate with each other dictating the next course of action (SOC 376:2-18). This helps explain why in sociology most of what happens we are unaware of and we take our present actions and explain them in the future. All parts of society work together to complete a viable culture in something called functionalism. For this assignment, we were asked to read “That the World May Know” and complete one question in response to our learnings from the novel. Regarding this novel, the social phenomena in question would be the integration of stories and how they are interpreted. Below I attached a video to help describe a functional analysis to those who have not taken an Introduction to Sociology class prior to this course.

Through symbolic interactionism we know that meaning is created not inherent, meaning we cannot decide how one reacts to the stories we tell. This is particularly relevant in the section of the novel entitled “Genocide”, in which the Rwandan individuals interviewed claimed, “they were anxious about the kind of stories being told, about them being turned into stories” (Dawes, 27). In order to maintain their humanity, those affected by the Rwandan genocide did not want to become characters overshadowing the mass terror that they and their country experienced. We begin to question how meaning is created, but more importantly how it is sustained within people. Within symbolic interactionism we know that literature turns experiences into beautiful works of art, however, this may be misinterpreted as trying to uplift the reality of the situation. Sociologists must be careful to avoid the process of reification; turning an experience, such as the genocide, and condensing it into something tangible. This also applies to the use of language and its effect in symbolic interactionism. Within the novel language is the main topic describing that “from using language as a precise tool for the objective, agent-neutral measurement to using it as a form of emotional exhortation and moral coercion” (Dawes, 80).

Functionalism is the process of understanding the connection between all parts of society. This can be found within “That the World May Know” when Dawes describes in the “Integration” section that he “examine[s] how their different organizational goals shape their language practices and how these, in turn, either amplify or diminish their capacity for dealing with state-sponsored violence” (Dawes, 77). Under functionalism, we are able to explore the latent and manifest functions that help evaluate the social phenomena. The latent functions are those, in this circumstance, representing the unforeseeable effects. For example, a latent effect of writing about those affected by the Rwandan genocide; is the dehumanizing of that group of people.

Dawes asks the question “how do we weigh the unforeseen and often unforeseeable negative results of our humanitarian interventions?” (Dawes, 16). When participating in humanitarian aid one is unsure how their actions will affect a particular situation; going back to symbolic interactionism. With the possibility of negative effects, one begins to question why themselves or another would enter into this sector, “it is a question asked frequently of people involved in humanitarian work. It is a question they frequently ask themselves” (Dawes, 117). Perhaps Dawes is answering the larger question with a series of smaller, more personal questions. Through questioning the origin reasoning as to why one becomes a humanitarian, the possible negative results become blinded. Dawes offers another answer to the question when he states that “it may have been the consequence-blind feeling of purpose that comes from simply trying the faith we cling to because it is the basis of our will to act or the confidence that comes from immersion in an institutional culture that performs effectiveness in its very architect” (Dawes, 74).  After this quote, Dawes continues to explain how he was enlightened to the idea that perhaps the problem at hand is a lack in education in situations. In the “Storytelling” section it is exclaimed that people want to be genuine and tell the truth, however, I do not believe he offers one concrete answer to the social phenomena.

References

Davis, Daniel, director. Three Founding Sociological Theories. YouTube, YouTube, 31 May 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=paA61KfOcEc.

Dawes, James. That the World May Know. 2007.

SOC 376: “How to Become Global Citizens”

#1.) Review what Dawes says about General Dallaire in the chapter titled Genocide and how he describes Dallaire’s reaction both in the moment and now in the years afterward to the genocide and the part that he played.  What are your reactions in general and more specifically through the lens of the Dunant/Nightingale philosophical debate?

In this chapter titled, Genocide, Dawes delves into deeply personal stories and testimonies of the Rwandan genocide. The chapter covers the timeline of the Rwandan genocide and how Tutsi and the Hutu’s tribal rivalry resulted in the fasted and largest killing of the twentieth century. It follows several different accounts of this harrowing tragedy that barely made it to the surface of media during the killings. One of the unique things Dawes does in the chapter is uncovering how Westernized the reactions are after finding out about these accounts. He notes how one author wrote a love story between a Rwandan woman and French-Canadian man fall in love only to have her captured and raped during the period of the genocide and then eventually killed by her captives after being mutilated. The book was praised and the reactions to those who actually experienced and knew the atrocities that were committed during the genocide were not to be used to craft love stories. From the Dunant perspective on how to tell the story of such magnitude Dawes states, Rwanda, the Balkans, and elsewhere, have catalogued the many ways stories designed to shake us out of our self-absorption and apathy can fail” (Dawes pg. 10). There is a multitude of literature available on the genocide of Rwanda and along with this, media sources were relaying information to major news centers and governments. Despite efforts to voice the alarming amount of deaths and mutilations going on through ethnic cleanings, there were no actions taken by governments or NGO’s to assist the Rwandans in desperate need. However, on the other side of the argument if it weren’t for the attempts of those in Rwanda recording what they experienced and attempting to relay it to anyone who could make a change to their current situation. Even though the Hutu were attempting to silence the people in Rwanda through killing those involved in media and new outlets the stories that the survivors possess is unmistakably invaluable towards those affected and carrying out the story of what happened.

General Dallaire was stationed in Rwanda by the Canadian military to protect and report upon what was happening. His experiences during the time deployed under the United Nations as a peacekeeping force during January of 1994 still haunt him to this day. In an interview on his expierences, Dallaire states,” The impact of the trauma of Rwanda had physically affected my brain and had put me in a state where there was no capability left of any desire for life, any desire to even consider life. I was even debating whether I should exist as I held on my shoulders, and still today, the belief that as commander of the mission in Rwanda I had failed the Rwandans” (USHMM). General Dallaire in the midst of the over 800,000 killings committed by the Hutu’s in less than a year, his warnings and pleas for help were ignored by national governments across the globe. In his hearings with the ICTR to sentence the Hutu’s involved for war crimes and genocide, Lawyer Peter Erlinger attacks him in cross-examination simply trying to state that this was a war due to the Hutu and Tutsi’s involvement as political parties. However, the Hutu’s overthrew the government through warfare and installed themselves into power making them not an official political party with no division of votes or government for the Tutsi. However, despite Daillare’s and so many other survivors horrible experiences outlined in the chapter, Dallaire has committed himself to battle media oppression of this matter and serving as a voice to those in need and affected. Even though he still battles with the regrets of yesterday and fear of tomorrow, Daillare transformed into J.’s perspective through all 4 m’s. Upon his initial deployment from the UN, he is simply tasked with keeping communication lines open and help those in need not knowing of the dangers ahead and resembling the missionary phase. As soon as the killings begin and he is attempting to battle the Hutu’s he shifts into the mercenary phase followed by his initial departure and recovery from what he experienced shifting him into the misfit stage. For six or seven years he could not think about Rwanda and spent most of his time in therapy however through his books and interviews has transformed into a voice for Rwanda and the need there finally putting him into the mystic phase.

Works Cited:

“A Good Man in Hell: General Roméo Dallaire and the Rwanda Genocide.” United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2002, www.ushmm.org/confront-genocide/speakers-and-events/all-speakers-and-events/a-good-man-in-hell-general-romeo-dallaire-and-the-rwanda-genocide.

Dawes, James. That the World May Know Bearing Witness to Atrocity. Harvard University Press, 2007.

Philg. “Florence Nightingale Opposed the Red Cross.” Philip Greenspun’s Weblog, 5 Nov. 2010, philip.greenspun.com/blog/2010/11/05/florence-nightingale-opposed-the-red-cross/.

“…it’s not about changing the world; it’s about changing the square meter you’re standing on.”  This quote is an incredibly powerful one who’s central theme has come across many times in this course. We often talk about the scale of aid that different organizations have and whether it is too much or too little. Another quote that seems to relate to this one, that the Center for Leadership really pushes, is that of “think globally, act locally.” This idea is that we can think of broad scale problems but at the end of the day it is most important to enact change in areas that fit in your scope; sometimes this means staying in our own backyards. When we try to act too large then we end up stretching ourselves too thin, thus causing burnout, or we end up doing more harm than good. And, there are cases where the best thing is to stop, reassess, and then go again. That is my sentiment on the video.

For background, the video is one that has stuck in my head since we first watched it (SOC 376: 2/2019). It shows a man trying to throw starfish back into the ocean as the tide is falling but in the process he ends up killing a lot of those starfish. Another man comes up and after the first man leaves the second tries to pick up where the other left off and ends up also killing the starfish prematurely. In this situation, with the quote in mind, this is one of those cases where changing the square meter that one stands on means not doing anything. The first man never took the time to really stop and process what he was doing and thus he kept doing the same thing over and over again which meant causing more harm. His sentiments and heart were in the right place but we saw throwing as the best solution when maybe walking to and from the ocean would have been the place. He was trying to change the square meter he was standing on but only went through one step. The quote can make it sound like we only have one shot to change the world we live in but humanity is amazing in that we do have chance after chance (maybe if we slow down global warming who knows I think we are running out of chances but I digress). The man in the video used one chance, and another, and another. But, he never stopped to look at his process to find another way. This is a big problem in the sector, I feel, is that there are groups that know what they are doing is not working but instead of thinking it is them causing the problem it is like they assume that the community is just not ready to receive help and that’s why their tactics aren’t working. Further, the problems facing aid workers today extends far past just natural disaster relief; we have wars, civil wars, genocides, political corruption, the list goes on. The aid sector was not designed for that and they are currently running themselves ragged trying to help everyone without the right tools (Gahrib, 2017). It is like they are constantly throwing starfish in the ocean but they aren’t looking back to see if the starfish made it because there are so many others that need help.

As for Dawes, I think his response would be rather similar to mine. This quote is one that he uses to explain how aid worker can stay sane in the sector. They see so much widespread hurt and pain, especially in war zones, that there has to be something for them to look at to feel as if they are still making a difference. The quote reminds aid workers that even if they are working in one small village in a region of wide spread war they are still making a difference. I like the example Dawes uses when comparing the work of the aid sector to that of politicians: you go in with all the optimism of the world and then once you’re in you realize you have to narrow your focus on smaller things (Dawes, 2007). Even with the smaller things in mind you are still making a difference. The atrocities that aid workers see are emotionally and psychologically damaged so as Dawes implies that quote could be the only thing to get them through. Dawes follows this throughout that chapter explaining the impact of in indirect ways. The aid workers have to see things in perspective to truly get through their times.

Arcaro , Tom. “Humanitarian Crises Around the World.” SOC371. SOC371, Elon, NC

Dawes, James. That the World May Know Bearing Witness to Atrocity. Harvard University Press, 2007.

Gharib, Malaka. “Humanitarian Aid Is ‘Broken,’ Says Former U.N. Official.” NPR, NPR, 22 June 2017, www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2017/06/22/533639073/what-s-wrong-with-humanitarian-aid.

To what extent does the idea of ‘bearing witness’ apply to aid workers (both international and national) in places like Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen? To what extent should aid workers tell or not tell the stories those in the affected communities to their friends and family?  On Facebook or other social media?

The question of whether or not it is our duty to share stories of affected communities ties into the idea of the humanitarian imperative. Is it our responsibility to showcase others’ suffering and vulnerability? This question has many layers. If the suffering and struggles that people go through is not brought to light, how can make people aware and attempt to help them? But then there is a question of what is appropriate to share and what is not.

I found the section in That the World May Know about storytelling to be extremely interesting and eye-opening to help understand the depths of these questions. Dawes describes the perspective of writer and journalist David Rieff as he describes that aid workers tell stories for various types of reasons. Some tell stories to draw attention to a crisis they have encountered in order to get some sort of remedy. Some to denounce bad behavior and motivate intervention, either political or military. Lastly some tell stories to publicize their own organization’s work. The story is merely a vehicle for more publicity and continuing a specific type of work (165). This ties back to the idea of to the idea of Social Exchange Theory in that humans don’t typically give without expecting something in return, (SOC376: 2/13/19). Thus, while some aid workers may tell these stories in order to help the affected communities they have seen, there is some level of ulterior motivation which could be trying to paint themselves in a certain light or draw attention to their organization.

Aside from the motivations of the aid workers themselves comes the effects that these stories can have on the people they are about. As Dawes includes in this novel, “Who nominates you to publicize pain and suffering that you can walk away from?” (166). Dawes discusses another incident in which a photographer described not being able to photograph a situation in which Bihari prisoners were being tortured and killed. However, the other photographers he was with continued to do so and “enticed the killers.” (168). This story stuck out to me as it gives the torturers exactly what they wanted—attention. The same goes for mass shootings when the killer often times commits the crime in order to get their name out and be in the news. If aid workers tell stories like these about atrocities they have witnessed they are thus giving credit to the perpetrator rather than the victim. By writing about these faceless victims, the author thus condemns the entire group to one single body. (197). Another effect that these stories can have on the affected community is the sheer problem of having to relive those difficult times. By publicizing and telling these stories whether it be via social media or in a book, these people are forced to relive their pain again. It is crucial in this sense to take informed consent from the individual and avoid putting one’s own language and feelings into the story. These people also may be scared, ashamed, or worried about the consequences of sharing their stories so it is important to respect their freedom of silence, (Ghaoui 2016).

To not tell of the tragedies that occur in places other than our home is not a question. These stories must be brought to light in some way, shape, or form. Shedding light on injustices sparks reform and intervention and helps the affected people and communities. However, the way that these stories are told needs to be monitored. Aid workers may believe that it is their duty and responsibility to tell every detail of what they of they encounter. This goes along with the White-Savior industrial complex which we have discussed. Cole states that “those who are being helped ought to be consulted over matters that concern them” (Cole). Thus, the people who these stories are being told about should be informed of the possible outcomes and should be able to have a clear voice. Some believe that some stories may be too gruesome and violent to share with the public and often times situations are covered up. In the book that I read called Where Soldiers Fear to Tread a UN volunteer ends up killing a woman during a protest in Somalia. The situation was put to rest and not told out of fear that it would reflect poorly on the UN. This goes back to the question of whether or not all stories should be told and whether or not it is our duty to tell them knowing possible consequences.

This is a photo of a woman named Mary from South Sudan posing for a photo to raise awareness and funds for affected people in her community.

Cole, Teju. “The White-Savior Industrial Complex.” The Atlantic, 21   Mar. 2012.

Dawes, James. That the World May Know: Bearing Witness to Atrocity. Harvard University Press, 2007.

Ghaoui, L. (2016). “How to Tell Humanitarian Disaster Stories Responsibly.” The Guardian. Aug. 2016

SOC 376: “Being/Becoming a Global Citizen” (SOC 376: 2/13/19)

#15 In the Storytelling chapter Dawes talks about this effect as it relates to journalists (both photo and print), and details the 1971 executions in Dhaka. Based on what you have learned so far in this course, did Riboud do the right thing and for the right reason?  How can we use some of the insights in this chapter to more deeply understand the responsibilities (and rights??) of those tasked with telling stories about the various humanitarian crises we have studied? What are the issues a ‘comms officer’ must address as she/he communicates to the ‘outside world’ images and stories of the affected community?

Researchers and aid workers in a country of crisis immerse themselves in the culture of an area to collect qualitative data on the people.  However, the data that observers are collecting may not accurately represent the people, as the Hawthorne effect suggests that people generally alter their behavior when they are being observed.  This is important as Dawes brings to our attention that many humanitarian workers relay their experiences as an aid worker to outsiders, becoming storytellers (Dawes 164). Almost seamlessly, the illustration of their past experiences become a story from their point of view, which may not touch on important aspects of the event, or what actually occurred.  Journalists and photographers especially become subject to storytelling as their job is to be a direct observer of a context, and capture it for others viewing. Ultimately, the job of journalists and photographers in humanitarian crises presents an ethical dilemma.

In That the World May Know, photographer, Marc Riboud is a direct observer at the time of multiple executions at the Dhaka racetrack in Bangladesh.  Rather than photograph, Ribouds instinct was to find officers to stop the violence, which he did not succeed with. Did he make the right decision, to try to find help once the violence was already occurring? Riboud said “I couldn’t photograph such a scene behind the torturer, taking no risk” (Dawes 168).  Editor, Harold Evans believes that Riboud felt that photographing this moment was “enticing the soldiers”, in other words encouraging and rewarding the soldiers to continue the violence (Dawes 168). Riboud experienced the humanitarian imperative and took action, which I believe was the right decision. This is right, because other photographers were already photographing the moment, what does another picture do? Morally, Riboud’s decision to attempt saving the lives of endangered humans could have been more powerful and effective than photographing the executions.  Riboud could have potentially saved the lives of certain individuals, which should come first before spreading passive news of the violence.

Over the duration of this course we have discussed the humanitarian imperative, beginning with the example of passing by someone who has fallen and become visibly injured. As a class we decided that anyone of us to walk by would have the urge to ask them if they needed help, because it is a human instinct (SOC 376).  However, I have begun to expand my thought on this imperative to help others in need while reading about the two photographers who continued to stand on the racetrack capturing photos of the execution. The decision of the photographers shifts my belief that not everyone has the human instinct to help the endangered, in better words that not everyone feels the humanitarian imperative.  These individual photographers felt that it was more of their duty to record the event, than their duty to help the people before them. The humanitarian imperative is definitely a unique aspect that certain people hold.

Photographers and journalists are put in the position of telling a story, through images or words, which is difficult because they witness more than they can capture.  Their job itself is an ethical controversy. Without their work, the harsher realities would go unseen, and on the other hand with their work they may be wrongfully telling the events which occured.  Riboud made a remark that “we are all better off because of people willing to take pictures”, and another photographer said that “ to walk away with evidence is the least I can do”. Both of these views affirm the fact that without images or recollections of crises, solutions may never be made, or that solutions wouldn’t be found by the white saviors.  Maybe Riboud and other photographers feel the white savior complex, and that their purpose in assisting the endangered is to bring pictures back for the global north to evaluate. However, maybe if we didn’t have the access to pictures and stories from “temporary visitors” to the global south, then the problem would be for the people to solve themselves, and our limited influence would allow for the people in crisis to develop their future from their perspective.

Photographers and journalists are not actively helping on the ground, yet they pass along news for others to do something about it. Photojournalists have the power of a gatekeeper, but who gave them that? It’s just infused in their job, as they decide what is noteworthy to capture, which aspect appears to be the most important to show or to not show.  If their photographs are telling stories, then purposefully not taking a photo would be like not telling people a part of what is occuring, which may be just what’s missing. Photography is an skill and an art, so photographers do have the right to capture what they want, they are the ones witnessing it, and they can relay their own account of the situations. This just means that the images are in the perspective of the photographer.

Nothing is out of perspective, everything that we witness, hear, or talk about is in the perspective of somebody, either our own or someone else’s. The question was raised, “What are we obliged to reveal and what to veil?” (Dawes). I think of the reference to where journalist, Matthew’s, wrote about a Marine that was killed, and through that medium the family of the Marine learnt the details of his death.  The Marines has concealed the details of the death, something done often. Should the Marines have provided the full amount of information to the family? I think transparency is best, morally so people know what has occurred especially in the instance of a death, and also for the protection of photographers and journalists so that they do not become the scapegoats when the public is outraged from being uninformed.  In the event of a humanitarian crisis, communications officers have the job of relaying information to the “outside world”. Possible exploitation of the people is definitely an issue, but it’s also important to reach people to raise awareness of such an issue. If we think of this through the utilitarian approach, we can weigh the positives and negatives of the ethical controversy, and have the chance to “maximize the good for the greatest number of people” (Bersak).  Photos and stories may be gruesome, but it does capture the attention of people willing to fight for the human rights of others.

In this world with social media, news can spread rapidly and to a large audience. Given this, there is more false news, which infiltrates chaos and confusion in people who are distant from the issue.  It would be strategic for communications officers of relief organizations to create relationships with the outside world through speaking to them often and with only the truth, this way the false news does not belittle the truth sharer. Social media also presents the ability for people in need to reach out on a global scale to recieve help (Chernobrov).  This can be beneficial to hear from a direct channel of the people in the crisis, so that their needs can be assisted, yet it can also be detrimental if there is grey space between what they say versus the communications officers reports.  Overall, transparency should be a standard in the humanitarian aid sector, between aid workers and aid receivers, and from observers to outside worlders.

SOC 376: “Being/Becoming a Global Citizen”

DAWES, JAMES. That the World May Know: Bearing Witness to Atrocity. Harvard University Press, 2007. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt13x0m08.

Chernobrov, Dmitry. “Digital Volunteer Networks and Humanitarian Crisis Reporting”. May 2018. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21670811.2018.1462666

Bersak, Daniel. Ethics in Photojournalism: Past, Present, and Future. 2003 .http://web.mit.edu/drb/Public/Bersak_CMS_Thesis_FINAL.pdf

Prompt
Dawes in That the World May Know presents many critical issues that we’ve been talking about all semester. For this post you are asked to present a detailed answer to the question you chose from our GoogleDoc.  You are welcome to blend together more than one question and/or take up my offer to ask your own question(s) about the book.  This book covers many of the issues that we have addressed throughout the semester, and thus you should pull on the many themes that we have covered to address your question.

Please follow the rubric as you write your answer.  Also please be ready to orally present your answer next in class.

Rubric:

Please note rubric changes and additions

• Due by class meeting time, 1:40PM Wednesday, May 8th.
• Late posts will be downgraded at least one letter grade.
• Comments to at least three colleague’s posts by May 2nd by 10:00PM EST.
• At least four citations: at least one from text and/or other assigned reading, at least two from outside academic sources, and one citation of class lecture/discussion.  Note:  you are to read/watch/listen to all of the material in the hyperlinks in the parent post above; your contact with the material should be apparent in your post.  Reference class lecture/discussion is this form (SOC371:3-27) i.e., course number and date.
• List references at the bottom of the page (MLA format).
• At least one photo and/or video link appropriate to and enhancing the content of your post.
• Minimum 0f 700 words (excluding references).
• Grade will be based on quality and quantity of response to the post prompt including adherence to the above benchmarks.
• Keep in mind that you are writing for a broad audience that is educated and interested in this topic; infuse your post with the sociology you are learning/have learned in a non-jargonistic manner

As a shorthand for the longer, more detailed grading rubric above this SOC summary may be useful.

• S = demonstration of understanding and application of sociological concepts, theories, etc. germane to the topic, especially those taking about in the text and in class
• O = organization and structure overall; flow of ideas, appropriate and contextualized use of images and videos, proper documentation of sources
• C = analytical creativity; going beyond obvious restatement or simple examples and pushing boundaries of thought and perspective; finding outside academic sources beyond the obvious

Please check Assignments/Assignment 11 before you Publish.