When the first Invisible Children documentary debuted in 2004, it quickly gained attention. Exposing the gruesome actions of the Lord’s Resistance Army in recruiting and exploiting Ugandan child soldiers, the film shocked viewers and provoked them to action. Seven years later, millions of people have viewed the documentary and offered their time and money to end the violence in Uganda. IC has grown from the spontaneous creation of three students into a prominent non-profit that promotes political and social action. Invisible Children has made progress in key ways such as getting the U.S. government to address the problem and promoting education and strong communities in Uganda.
The story of IC is a powerful testimony to the way that awareness campaigns can effect change. While some knew about the LRA long before the documentary (the Economist published on the topic as early as 1995), a more dramatic and gripping presentation of the problem was necessary to produce widespread knowledge of the conflict and mobilize people to act.
However, creating an awareness campaign that is effective and tasteful is tough. There is a delicate balance between the need to be appealing and the need to be accurate. Generally, the objective is to raise public awareness of an important problem and inspire people to seek a solution. Dry, objective coverage of an issue may be detailed and correct, providing useful information; however, the likelihood is slim that it will attract broad attention or inspire anyone to lift a finger. Meanwhile, a highly dramatic, emotional or fun presentation may fill the hearts of the audience with a hot but transitory fire; it will be quickly extinguished when they leave the atmosphere of the event without little concrete understanding of the issue.
An additional challenge of raising public awareness about a humanitarian problem is the task of expressing the seriousness of the problem without going overboard. If you constantly dwell on the egregious nature of human rights violations, you will disgust, disturb and depress your audience more than necessary. On the other hand, it’s a mistake to trivialize the true suffering of those you represent. The objective is to communicate the urgent need for change without turning a real situation into a Hollywood horror film.
Some in the Pepperdine community have attempted to take on an awareness campaign, particularly in regard to the growing problem of sex trafficking. A couple years ago students organized a fashion show intended to publicize the issue, the Pepperdine chapter of the International Justice Mission has promoted discussion of the issue, and, most recently, a team of students and alumni produced a social justice rock opera.
Because sex trafficking is so horrific, people are apt to deny that it actually happens. Thus, public awareness campaigns are a crucial element. In addition, awareness could significantly reduce the problem. It could enable people to recognize cases of sex slavery when they witness them, and then intervene or contact the authorities, promote preventive caution among people who are most vulnerable and alert potential customers to the implications of their actions.
The rock opera that showed in Smothers, “Death and Victory in Paris,” demonstrated the delicate and challenging nature of producing a piece that is both evocative and realistic. While the production and music were excellent, the plot was implausible and misrepresented what typically happens in instances of sex trafficking. However, it also included an invitation to become involved through anti-trafficking organization Project Exodus.
Although there are many pitfalls involved with creating an awareness campaign, there are tools to aid your success. Identify people that are talented communicators; this is a crucial talent. Communicate with those that are knowledgeable and active already. Above all, keep your objective in mind: appealing, informative, memorable and motivating. Put them together, and that’s a powerful brew.
