Diverse representation in Communication
– COFACE EXPERT SEMINAR – co-hosted by COFACE and UNAF Spain
Background
The images and photos of people in any communication campaign or media affects how people think about the world, however photos barely represent the whole range of diversity in society. We don’t want this limit us and continue to ensure an adequate representation of society in our in our member’s outputs. In order to support the campaigns of COFACE and its national members, we would like to collect photos representing families in all their diversity with different colours, abilities and family types.
Societal diversity should not only be transmitted through visual materials but also through language as language similarly forms our image of society. With our members we would like to reflect on the barriers of languages as well as discuss existing and new strategies. Together with an external trainer, we will look at how to best craft message and create storytelling keeping the focus of diverse representation in mind.
Objectives of the webinar
- Exchanges on different national campaigns, with a focus on Spain, to encourage learning between COFACE members on national campaigning
- Discussion on coordinated European campaigns and projects, taking diversity (family, ethnic, disability) as a starting point, bringing members together around common projects.
- Train experts in crafting messages and storytelling
Language of the meeting
English
Status
For COFACE and UNAF members only.
PROGRAMME
Morning: Virtual study visit of UNAF Spain
9.30-10.00 Introduction to UNAF: vision, goals, actions
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10-11.00 UNAF Media education on female genital mutilation
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11.00-11.30 Break
11.30-12.30 FAMS campaign on single mothers and their superpowers
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12.30-13.30 Lunch break
Afternoon: Focus on Europe
13.30-14.30 Working together for more diverse representation in communications
Introduction by Isabell Wutz, COFACE communication officer, to the idea of building an online bank of stock images to be used in communication tools (newsletter, webpages, social media, videos, etc) which represent the full diversity of society, as well as discussing diverse language is messaging and storytelling.
- We will examine a list of existing online banks of stock images and videos (see Annex of the programme)
- We will reflect on diversity in languages. Are there rules in some organisations? Is there a change in language in the respective countries to be more diverse and gender-neutral?
- Can we jointly work on collecting open source photos for use by all COFACE members and partners? What platform could we use? (Flickr, Facebook, multiple platforms)
14.30-14.45 Break
14.45-16.15 Expert training by Clear Europe
- Crafting messages
- Storytelling
- Diversity in Comms
16.15-16:30 Closure
NEXT STEPS
Online meeting in March/April to exchange on European and national campaigns for 2021