When we launch an awareness campaign without including lived experience, we risk creating a "flyer effect"—people see it, nod, and move on. But when we center a survivor’s voice, we force the audience to sit down, listen, and witness .
Campaigns must be careful not to frame survivors as helpless people waiting to be saved by the audience. Best practices dictate that survivors should be involved in the creation of the campaign, ensuring they have over how their story is told.
Survivors must have total control over how their story is used and where it is shared.
Survivor stories and awareness campaigns have the power to transform lives, communities, and society. By amplifying the voices of survivors, promoting understanding, and fostering a culture of empathy and support, we can create a more just and compassionate world. As we move forward, it is essential to prioritize best practices, center survivor voices, and work collaboratively to create effective and sustainable awareness campaigns.
Twenty years ago, awareness campaigns looked like this: a grainy public service announcement (PSA) with a somber narrator, a 1-800 number, and stock footage of a person looking out a rainy window.