The Consequences of ‘Poverty Porn’ in Fundraising Campaigns

‘Poverty Porn’ is a term used for the deliberate use of personal and intimate images in fundraising activities.  Most often, in these instances, images of such nature are used by organizations to raise money or awareness on social initiatives. Many argue that the use of such imagery for fundraising purposes removes the dignity of the beneficiaries. They also encourage paternalistic attitudes that contribute to the problematic perception of other people needing a ‘white saviour’. White saviour syndrome is the narrative that white individuals are saving the world, often reproducing stereotypes.

Acknowledging the potential harm caused by poverty porn, Concorde, a prominent umbrella organization in the European Union for International Development, has issued a code of conduct for International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) regarding the responsible use of such images (Code of Conduct). Today in Malta, there is no authority to set such standards and the use of such imagery is still widely used. Some critics have argued that the local campaigns used in a national fundraising activity on boxing day to raise money for the Community Chest Fund is a clear example of unethical fundraising campaign by using images that take away the dignity of the beneficiaries. Funds collected from this event go towards supporting families, children and individuals in need, such as those forced to travel for medical needs not catered for in Malta.

At Right 2 Smile we have taken a strategic long-term approach to prioritize education, values, and dignity in our development work with different communities around the world. This includes communication with our social media followers and stakeholders. Even though we are aware of the research showing that the use of such imagery leads to a substantial increase in financial contributions to fundraising campaigns, we believe that this approach reduces individuals to mere stereotypes, while also overlooking the underlying structural issues perpetuating poverty, racism, discrimination, and prejudice. In the context that most of our volunteers and followers live in Malta, we are cautious not to enforce these stereotypes.  There is also a strong argument to make that such images would contradict the values of our organization, which profess values centered around dignity, respect, and equality.

In Malta, discrimination, stereotypes, and prejudice toward individuals perceived as not part of the ‘Western culture is pronounced, notably affecting Third Country Nationals who are perceived as the ‘other’. My trip to Kenya in 2011 exposed me to my own biases, which were ingrained in me through the narratives often used to depict people coming from the global south in fundraising events. I expected to see extreme poverty in part due to individual choices, however, whilst I was in Kenya and through my work subsequently I began to understand its structural roots. Western views simplify poverty as a material lack, overlooking its intricate psychological dimensions. Perpetuating such oversimplified narratives disempowers beneficiaries, contradicting our quest for a nuanced understanding.

Paternalistic attitudes, rooted in psychological perceptions of helplessness, are concerning as they deny agency to those depicted in poverty porn and lead to damaging prejudices. Statements like ‘People go through hard times because they deserve it’ or ‘They are poor because they do nothing’ perpetuate harmful narratives, fitting well into the poverty porn narrative brought forward by fundraising campaigns that portray subjects as helpless and the architects of their hardships. On the other hand, it is only through the recognition of the agency of others that we can take the first fundamental step towards acknowledging that regardless of our perceived statuses, we are talking about equal ‘minds’.

Such campaigns undermine the collective goals INGOs aim to achieve. As evident in the comments above which can be found online, some individuals call out such campaigns that fail to present an accurate depiction, however in others it creates mistrust towards the necessity of development aid, and the need to help, in the case of this article it also led to inflammatory comments that were deleted or patronizing comments that give the idea that the ‘other’ people are not capable of looking after their children. 

In light of these concerns, it is essential to pose critical questions as organizations in the way we train and communicate with volunteers, stakeholders, and social media followers. By understanding the implications of poverty porn, we can foster a more informed and respectful approach to international development. One that aligns with the values of dignity, respect, and equality that International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) should strive to uphold.

Right 2 Smile opposes such representation, and we try our best to communicate and educate volunteers about such issues, through the training and policies made available to volunteers. Photos depicting human suffering, with people half-naked, crying, sick, or desperate, undermine human dignity. Moreover, we are also very vocal about the fact that dehumanizing images may fuel racism by portraying people in the South as ‘other,’ separate from ‘us,’ and objects of pity. This can reinforce the idea that development problems are solely solved by ‘Western’ Organisations. These images hinder the collective efforts of NGOs to promote a broader understanding of the root causes of poverty and injustice, whilst removing any form of participation of the beneficiaries in the projects. While focusing on personal stories may evoke strong emotions from potential donors, it may not benefit the long-term collective goals.

When we discuss poverty by focusing solely on individual negative stories, we often inadvertently place the blame on the people we work with themselves. However, by providing a broader context and highlighting the structures of social injustice, we shift the focus to societal factors and collective responsibility, fostering an educational understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and social exclusion. If we measure our impact or success only from a financial perspective, or if we work with the idea that the end justifies the means, we risk creating an unbalanced understanding of poverty-related issues that risk increasing the repercussions of such campaigns. In view of all this, Right 2 Smile actively and consciously chooses to push back against this single-layered representation of the ‘Other’, and the power imbalance caused by such deep-rooted positions. Instead, a more dignified choice to hold space for the individuals we meet along our journey as equal, complex beings existing in a multi-layered reality is held.

In a Ted Talk, we usually show to volunteers (The danger of a single story), Chimamanda Adichie makes a thought-provoking point about the impact of consistently portraying a negative story about an individual. She states, ‘Show an individual as one thing, over and over again, and that is what they become.’ Now, consider how immigrants are perceived in Malta – as dirty, hopeless, dangerous, and untrustworthy. These stereotypes are very possibly constantly being reinforced by poverty porn campaigns. As Chimamanda notes, ‘The single story creates stereotypes and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue but that they are not complete. They make one story become the whole story.’

Here is a social media guide for volunteers and travelers: Radi-Aid Guide

Damien Attard – 2024