Do you hear the people sing? Voice and humanitarian technologies

Begin the lesson by showing the class images of humanitarian crises in the country and around the world–poverty, hunger, deaths, and displacement caused by long-standing armed conflict, health emergencies, natural disasters, and economic issues. Ask students which of these local and world events are they aware of. Then ask them if they have personally taken actions in response to these events. Have they shared posts, joined hashtag campaigns, or donated in online fundraisers? Do these actions ‘count’?

From here, you may segue to introducing the topic and objectives of the lesson which will explore how digital technologies are used to promote human welfare and civic ends, its prospects and limitations.

Begin the lesson by unpacking the concepts of voice and voicelessness in relation to oneself and society. Use the following questions. Use engaging discussion strategies like Think-Pair-Share to empower the students to process and actively share their ideas with their peers. 

Discussion questions:

1. What does the saying "give voice to the voiceless" mean?
2. What is voice? 
   1. What does it mean to "have voice"? 
   2. Do you have voice? Why is it important to you?
3. What does it mean to be "voiceless"?
   1. Who are voiceless? 
   2. Does voice become irrelevant if no one listens?
   3. What hinders people from voicing out?
4. Have you personally felt being "voiceless"?
   1. How were you able to overcome it?
   2. Who or what gives voice? 

Think-Pair-Share strategy:

1. Think: Teachers begin by asking a specific question about the text. Students “think” about what they know or have learned about the topic.
2. Pair: Each student should be paired with another student or a small group.
3. Share: Students share their thinking with their partner.

Voice in humanitarian action

Humanitarian action has long been criticized for its power imbalances, manifested in the one-way nature of its processes. Affected populations are not able to define their own needs and concerns, and are excluded from crafting solutions and policies. They, too, are often not able to hold accountable humanitarian organizations and those in power. Voice—understood as the ability to give an account of oneself and participate in social processes—is recognized as significant for humanitarian action and disaster recovery. Giving disaster-affected people the opportunity to make their voices heard has the potential to democratize humanitarian action and its power imbalances. 

What hinders people from voicing out?

To fully understand voice, we also need to look into its absence and the factors that hinder it. What prevents people from voicing out and from being listened to? Voicelessness can be linked to disrespect, marginalization and disenfranchisement. It is connected to negative moral feelings of anger, shame, and indignation experienced by those who suffer from injustice. Voicelessness means being excluded from social and political processes which can be due to fear, disillusionment, indifference, or other internalized feelings of dismissal. 

‘Humanitarian technologies’ in Typhoon Yolanda disaster recovery

To concretize the discussion on voice and voicelessness, zoom in on the topic of "humanitarian technologies" which refers to the use of technology by disaster-prone communities “to better prevent, mitigate and prepare for disasters and, in their wake respond, recover and rebuild more effectively” (WDR, 2013, in Maidanou, Longboan & Ong, 2015). Being one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world and also consistently being at the top of global rankings in terms of social media and internet usage, the Philippines has evidently a wealth of experience on ‘humanitarian technologies’. Typhoon Yolanda’s disaster recovery is the first major humanitarian crisis that prominently featured the use of communication technologies – especially social media for facilitating voice and grassroots participation.

In their paper, “Finding a Voice Through Humanitarian Technologies? Communication Technologies and Participation in Disaster Recovery”, Maidanou, Longboan, and Ong (2015) did a year-long ethnography with local communities affected by Yolanda in 2013. Their study investigated if technologies indeed ‘give voice to the voiceless’, eventually addressing the power imbalances in humanitarian action. Through tech, are the affected populations able to define their own needs and concerns, and are they able to hold accountable humanitarian organizations and those in power?

In Tacloban, a group of women from a low-income community engaged in a strategy called “text brigading” where they bombarded government social welfare representatives with text messages about their need for new tarpaulins for their makeshift shelters. It was proven to be highly successful as tarpaulins were delivered within days; in contrast, previous face-to-face requests had been unsuccessful. The strategy is effective yet limited.

Source: Madianou, M., Longboan, L., & Ong, J.C. (2015). Finding a Voice Through Humanitarian Technologies? Communication Technologies and Participation in Disaster Recovery. International Journal of Communication. https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/4142

As you discuss the potentials of humanitarian technologies, ask your students to reflect on their own experiences of using digital media for humanitarian action. Divide the class into small groups and instruct them to brainstorm using the guide questions in the handout. After the group discussion, ask volunteer students to share what they have discussed to the whole class.

Take note that young people may experience trauma when events, like natural disasters, threaten their emotional and physical safety and well-being. This can include on-going trauma and stress related to unpredictable housing, the loss of friends and family, and a general absence of familiarity and stability. “Trauma-informed care” is an approach that recognizes the impact of traumatic events and provides appropriate mental, emotional, and physical support. Read the following references to learn how to support your students coping with post-disaster trauma:

• Texas Appleseed (n.d.) Supporting students who are coping with trauma: Post-disaster tips for educators and families. https://www.texasappleseed.org/sites/default/files/2023-05/supportingstudentscopingwpost-disastertraumafinal.pdf 
• Performance.gov. (n.d.) Trauma-Informed Disaster Response. https://www.performance.gov/cx/life-experiences/recovering-from-a-disaster/outputs/1/ 

Activity: Humanitarian technologies in action

What is a humanitarian crisis?

It is a large-scale disaster or emergency situation, often involving violence, conflict, or natural disasters, which results in severe suffering or danger to a large population. It requires a significant international response to address the immediate needs and protect people's rights.

What is ‘humanitarian technology’?

It refers to the use of technology by disaster-prone communities “to better prevent, mitigate and prepare for disasters and, in their wake respond, recover and rebuild more effectively” (WDR, 2013, in Maidanou, Longboan & Ong, 2015)

Guide questions:

1. Have you ever been personally affected by a humanitarian crisis situation, and how did you use technology to respond to it? 
   • What challenges did you, your family or community experience?
   • Did you engage in tech-facilitated community organizing, fundraising, protest, or digital storytelling? What was its impact to your community and to yourself?
   • If any, what are the barriers that affected you from using ‘humanitarian technologies’? 
2. What other cases of technology use for humanitarian action are you aware of and that you consider to be worth emulating? 
   • How do these actions impact the affected populations?
   • What important factors should be present so that ‘humanitarian technologies’ are used by those who need it the most?

From the sharing done by the students in the group activity, highlight how existing socio-economic inequalities and social structures play a role in the effectiveness of ‘humanitarian technologies’. If your students are coming from a more privileged background, allow them to reflect on the advantages that they have (e.g., tech access, digital literacy) compared to those who have less. Discuss how these and other variables can limit civic participation through digital media.

Limitations of humanitarian technologies

While digital technologies are touted to create new ways for disaster-affected communities to organize, coordinate and respond to their own problems, only those who come from privileged backgrounds are more likely to take advantage of them. Meanwhile, those who are most in need are less likely to because of various barriers such as inaccessibility of technology; lack of digital skills; and self-censorship due to lack of confidence, helplessness and political norms (i.e., utang na loob). 

“Technologies are tools that can facilitate voice but only as long as other variables, such as social capital and a strong civil society, are present” (Maidanou, Longboan & Ong, 2015). Reversing the imbalances of power in humanitarian action is not a matter of technology, it requires building human relationships and courage.