NPR

Volunteering Abroad? Read This Before You Post That Selfie

You may think it's a noble idea to photograph yourself helping poor children in a faraway country. A new campaign has a different perspective.
Source: SAIH Norway/Screenshot by NPR

Think before you snap that selfie.

That's the serious message of a joint campaign created by two groups that have spent the past few years poking fun at problematic photos taken by Western volunteers. They often have the tendency to paint themselves as saviors to needy people in low-income countries.

The campaign, launched this month, offers guidelines and a cheeky video to first-time travelers or young volunteers eager to capture every moment of their vacation or mission on Facebook or Instagram. It was created by Radi-Aid, a project of the Norwegian Students' and Academics' International Assistance (SAIH) that fights stereotypes in aid and development, and by , an Instagram parody account.

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