Fingo, the umbrella organization for Finnish development NGOs, has published Guidelines for Ethical Development Communications. The guidelines address civil society organizations’ development communication – including fundraising communication.
The guidelines include a cross-cutting value proposition and three main commitments, under which there are a total of 29 sub-commitments. The main commitments are: 1) We put people first 2) We Actively Tackle Stereotypes and Perceptions that Perpetuate Inequality, and 3) We Plan and Work Together.
The guidelines were developed in collaboration with Fingo’s member organizations, and during the process, consultations were sought from Nepalese journalist Bhrikuti Rail and the executive director of Moniheli Abdirahim Hussein.
Mika Niskanen, Fingo’s expert in advocacy communication and the person responsible for coordinating the guidelines, explains that the guidelines were not created from scratch: NGOs have been promoting ethical development communication in their activities for years. In addition to organizational expertise, the guidelines draw from existing ethical guidelines and research.
“We hope that the guidelines will genuinely benefit civil society organizations and other stakeholders in ethical development communication. And this is not the end! The guidelines will be reviewed annually: our goal is to create a learning process around the guidelines, where organizations can hear and share practical experiences in ethical development communication,” says Niskanen.
“Communication shapes reality – that’s why ethical development communication is crucial. We are immensely grateful for the active participation of our members in producing the guidelines. These guidelines are the result of collaboration and yet another collective step forward in advancing ethical development communication,” says Salla Peltonen, Fingo’s communication director.
Come and learn more about the guidelines at the launch event on Monday, March 4th, at 13:00. You can register for the event here. The event is held in Finnish.
Over 20 NGOs have committed to the guidelines. Civil society organizations and practitioners involved in development communication can commit to the guidelines at any time. You can commit to the guidelines through this link.
For more information:
Mika Niskanen, Expert in Advocacy Communication | Fingo
+358 50 317 6715 | mika.niskanen@fingo.fi