Developing world connections

This picture was sponsored by Developing World Connections, taken of me and my peers on a solidarity trip with the DWC organization to Cambodia in 2017. Although not derived from the website, it is similar to those photos comprised online, as it conveys the DWC logo T-Shirt worn by volunteers of DWC. In the photo, you can see volunteers of the organizations, easily recognized by the white DWC T-shirt, which makes a clear distinction between volunteers and locals. This displays the concept of ‘othering’, a mechanism that separates ‘us’ from ‘they’, creating a divide between individuals (Brough, 2021). As such, the DWC T-shirt is more than just a material object because it has the ability to place a person a high petal stool, subduing the ‘other’. In other words, the conspicuous conception (consumption for status) of humanitarianism anesthetizes our encounters with structural inequalities (Brough, 2021). Additionally, cause-branded clothing, such as this shirt, lets us wear our humanitarian identity on our backs, allowing us to collect our causes as Facebook “friends”, gathering philanthropic social capital (Brough, 2021). The aptitude of the logo T-shirt goes beyond the location where it was worn (Cambodia) as it is being conveyed in media further expresses. For example, photos similar to this one are publicized on DWC’s social media networks, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or their personal website. Once photos, such as this one, are displayed internationally through the web it becomes a facet of the social capital. This permits its consumption from those who encounter it, instituting popular culture.

Pairing this humanitarian cultural narrative with pop culture prompts the spectacle of ‘suffering’ through a realist aesthetic (Brough, 2021). This is permissible by the advanced technology and social networks that create new forms of humanitarian visual culture (Brough, 2021). As such, the media that is consumable from one of DWC’s social networks contribute to the glamorized representations of the humanitarian donor-as-consumer (Brough, 2021). For instance, in this photo alone the suffering of Cambodian locals is embellished in such a way that uses the impoverished area as an aesthetic background to depict poverty in an endearing way. Moreover, the past commitment to a realist aesthetic has notably been eradicated. It has been replaced by the full integration of corporate brand culture and humanitarianism (Brough, 2021). The niche branding of identities and lifestyles characteristic of commodity capitalism now includes the branding and consumption of humanitarian projects, and the humanitarian identity as products, such as the DWC T-shirt. This DWC t-shirt signals one’s humanitarianism. In turn, the ultimate commodity fetishization, and distinction from suffering, is achieved (Brough, 2021). As opposed to the image of a person in need, we purchase a material object reflecting our philanthropic identity. This speaks to the symbiotic relationship between Western modernity/postmodernity, humanitarianism, and capitalism, a relationship influenced by the productive, seemingly dialectical tensions between realism, spectacle, proximity, and distance to human suffering produced in largely through visual culture (Brough, 2021).

This video was available on DWC’s YouTube channel, amongst other videos that advertise their organization. This is an example of how platforms are used by a non-profit organization (Bourgon, 2021). This aids in fundraising success (Bourgon, 2021), which is an essential component of DWC as a non-profit organization. That said, it starts off by showing numerous short clips that are combined into one, comprised of various individuals who encompass the locals of Costa Rica. Many of the locals shown are young children that have sad emotions. Alongside this, are videos capturing the community and environment while raining, provoking a sense of pathetic fallacy, in an attempt to imply gloom and the need for help. Later it starts implementing clips of the volunteers of the DWC organization helping the locals in various activities. After this the locals shown in the videos seem happier, prompting the idea that the DWC organization truly provides help. In addition, the music playing in the background further emphasized this sense of making a change because as the happy clips were showing the music became tone increased in ‘excitement’. As such, this not only makes individuals sympathize and corporate with the organization to help but also because it appeals a sense of bettering themself.

Moreover, the video also attains clips of nature and scenery of Costa Rica without any locals or DWC volunteers captured. Doing so, promotes personal discovery and self-interest while encountering the ‘other’ (Bourgon, 2021). This sense of adventure and self-interest promoted, escapes the double-blind that requires the portrayal of suffering and victimhood (Bourgon, 2021), which is portrayed in other clips. As such, this sense of adventure that is fabricated by the aesthetic appeal of the video is used to divert from the representation of difference and suffering, leaving room for self-interest and reducing privilege guilt and compassion fatigue (Bourgon, 2021).

In this photo you can see a phone being held, showcasing the DWC's Instagram page, which is easily identifiable as the remaining background is blurred out. In the blurred-out background, the only thing eligible to read is the DWC's logo. Not only was this derived from their Facebook page that is used to publicize their organization, but they also strategically utilized their social network Facebook, to simultaneously sponsor their Instagram page. Alongside their personal network sponsorship, this photo is also comprised of additional photos taken on their mission trips. This is an example of how creative storytelling is utilized in visual media, which insinuates the organization’s dual mission to be “both an innovative media-based organization” (i.e.,a production company) and a humanitarian/development nongovernmental organization (Bourgon, 2021). The use of images is what helps connect and mobilize individuals to support humanitarian organization projects (Bourgon, 2021). In other words, the ‘movement’ component or organization is anything that is not a direct aid and development work (Bourgon, 2021). As such, in this DWC’s photo, it only attains the ability to prompt a connection but is not comprised of the direct work itself.

Moreover, the depiction of the DWC’s logo itself is a way in that DWC brands its identity. As mentioned, the logo and the photos on the phone, which portrayed photos taken of locals from mission trips, were the only two aspects identifiable. That exemplifies the focus on constructing the identity of the donor, in this case, it would be DWC, that allows an escape from the challenges of representing difference and suffering (Bourgon, 2021). Thus, it remains instilled in the logic of neoliberal consumer capitalism and identity branding (Bourgon, 2021). Consequently, more effort is put toward media production as opposed to beneficiaries (Bourgon, 2021).

This photo was derived from DWC’s Facebook page, which is one of the numerous ways they disclose media pertained to their organization. Alongside this photo posted was a discussion regarding one of DWC’s fundraisers called ‘Elder’s Circle’ that helps build a family home in Guatemala. This was further accompanied by a brief description of what the fundraiser entails and the setting of Guatemala, as conveyed in the photo. Words such as ‘poverty-stricken family’, ‘health’, and ‘permanent safe home’ invoke sympathy as it adds to the sense of ‘suffrage’ in the photo, but also makes one feel as if they can help by providing a forever home. That said, images of suffering were not always an aspect of humanitarianism, as it was only recently introduced within the 20th century. Prior to current facets of humanitarianism, during the 18th century, the emerging English middle class’s newfound withdrawal from physical discomfort was one of the factors that enabled the rise of modern humanitarianism, being images of suffering, while at the same time, evoking “spectatorial sympathy,” functioned to reaffirm the distance one had attained from such suffering (Brough, 2021). Eventually, by the 20th century, the majority of the visual artifacts of American humanitarianism were produced with the objective of bringing distant, “real” human suffering closer to the American public, as a donor (Brough, 2021). Just close enough so that one could have the image, as evidence of their philanthropic contribution. For example, this photo of sponsored children has served as a common tool for donor cultivation, used by organizations like Developing World Connections. Moreover, this portrayal of suffering also invokes a sense of pity Velasco-Pufleau, 2018). Content and photos, such as this one, illustrate people fighting against structures of injustice or poverty, which can be found within DWC’s media networks. In this particular photo, you see various individuals with sad faces working in a distraught and damaged environment. This provokes a sense of pity because the imaginary depicted captivates an emotional response from the consumers who encounter it. It is through this pity that solidarity is formed. As such, DWC is an organization that is funded by volunteers, thus, this sense of pity is what gets individuals to donate and go on their mission trips to help others.

This media image is also an example of “watching” a photo. This entails that rather than simply looking at the photo, is fundamentally an act of historical thinking, which “entails dimensions of time and movement that need to be copied in the interpretation of the still photographic image (“watching photographs”, n.d.). Photographers and aid agencies, such as DWC frame photographs according to their own politics, experiences, and goals (“watching photographs”, n.d.). These then shape spectators’ interpretations of people’s lived realities around the globe, and contribute to formulating responses to humanitarian issues (“watching photographs”, n.d.). For example, as mentioned previously, this photo displays a Guatemalan family, where the background has been slightly defocused, deliberately isolating the center of the photo, which highlights a small child being cared for by another young child, who are living in a dangerous and impoverished area. The picture deliberately displays the visual landscape of life in a situation of disaster (“watching photographs”, n.d.). If we look around the child, we see the family actively working to improve their dire conditions, while not passively waiting for assistance. Additionally, the child and adult in the background depict the iconography of misery, seeking simplistic passivity and suffering, when realistically people experiencing desperate situations have a range of emotions (“watching photographs”, n.d.). This photo, however, is narrowly defining the realities being experienced (“watching photographs”, n.d.). Moreover, centering this photo on children brings in a wide range of donors who support care for children. This can be beneficial in the short term as these communities will receive aid, but in the long run, these Guatemalan communities have the potential to be stereotyped as infantile and dependent (“watching photographs”, n.d.).