A recent analysis highlights the growing importance of participatory and ethical storytelling in development and humanitarian work. The article argues that traditional approaches often portray communities through narrow, deficit-based narratives, while excluding them from shaping how their experiences are represented. Instead, it advocates for storytelling that is developed with communities rather than about them, recognising lived experience as expertise and strengthening trust, accountability, and public engagement. The analysis further stresses that narratives influence policy priorities, programme design, and public perceptions, making inclusive and context-sensitive communication an important component of effective development practice. As discussions on localisation and decolonisation continue, the article calls for greater community ownership over the stories that shape development and humanitarian action. Read more here.
Source: Bond