PHOTO & VIDEO POLICY

PHOTO & VIDEO POLICY

1. Introduction

Volunteers participating in CACHA medical missions and project visits are often eager to capture and share their experiences. However, it is essential to do so responsibly, respecting the privacy, dignity, and cultural sensitivities of the communities we serve.

This policy is designed to ensure that all photographs and videos taken of locals during missions and project visits adhere to ethical standards and align with CACHA’s values and CACHA’s Code of Conduct for CACHA Missions and Projects.

Appendix A to this policy contains guiding principles and best practices, similar to those followed by Global Affairs Canada. Two columns labeled “Do” and “Don’t” will help you determine what is appropriate or not given a particular situation. To be clear, the document is intended for guidance. Since every situation will be unique, good judgment will need to be exercised in each situation to ensure that the spirit of the policy and the principles that underlie the policy are honoured.

Appendix B to this policy contains consent forms, referred to in various articles of this policy.

The following articles together with Appendices A and B constitute CACHA’s Photo & Video Policy.

2. Explicit Consent Requirement

Explicit consent should be obtained from individuals before taking their photographs or videoing. Explicit consent is obtained when the individual(s) being photographed/videoed have given an express statement indicating that they agree to have their image recorded in a photo or a video. An express statement can come in the form of an oral or a written statement. In order for explicit consent to be effective, it must be evident that the individuals are aware that they are being photographed/videoed and for what purpose.

Ask for permission and clearly explain how the visuals may be used. Inform individual(s) whether the photos/videos will be for your personal use or for distribution either to your personal social media or for publication on CACHA website or social media. This is critical for personal use and mandatory for images/videos intended for CACHA website or social media.

Consent, whether written or oral should be in the primary language of the individual(s) photographed/videoed and explained if they are unable to read. Engage the assistance of a translator as required.

Include the names of the people featured in images and videos in the captions as much as possible, to ensure that they are depicted as real people, not symbols for a cause.

Appendix B includes the consent form in English (other languages to follow).

Obtaining consent does not discount the need to adhere to the guidelines and ethical principles described in Appendix A.

3. Minors

Where the individual is a minor, take particular care to ensure that parental consent is well understood and obtained when obtaining visual images that feature children in private settings.

4. Patients Receiving Medical Treatment

Where the individual is receiving medical treatment, written consent must be obtained for photos/videos.

5. Vulnerable Patients and Patients in Distress

Do not attempt to obtain consent in any form from patients who appear to be vulnerable or in distress, as their capacity to give effective consent could be cast into doubt.

6. Photos/Videos of Groups

Where the photo/video is of a group, with faces shown, inform the group explaining the intended use(s), consonant with the policy. Consent can be obtained orally and individuals would have the requisite awareness that their photo will be taken and used for the purposes explained. Non consenting individuals can separate themselves from the group.

7. Avoiding Misrepresentation

Ensure images accurately represent the work and impact of CACHA without sensationalizing or misrepresenting the conditions or individuals depicted. Images that portray extreme poverty or suffering to elicit sympathy or encourage donations are not to be captured. Such images require careful context and should not be used to exploit the subjects’ circumstances.

8. Cultural Sensitivity

Local customs, traditions, and norms must be respected. Photos/videos that may be considered disrespectful or inappropriate in the local context are not to be taken.

9. Content Review and Publication Review Process

All images submitted for publication will be reviewed by the CACHA Communications team to ensure they are in line with all CACHA’s policies, suitable for sharing on social media and the CACHA website.

CACHA Photo and Video Policy including Appendices A & B was approved by CACHA’s Board of Directors on July 10, 2024.

Appendix A

GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND ETHICAL PRACTICES:

By adhering to these guiding principles, volunteers can ensure that their photographs and videos are taken and shared responsibly, ethically, and in a manner that upholds the values and mission of the Canada Africa Community Health Alliance.

Show people actively engaged in our missions/projects interacting with their families or in a work context in their communities.
Be mindful that there are risks associated with portraying people living in extreme poverty through imagery that seems hopeless, helpless, or undignified.
Include visuals depicting people of diverse ages, genders, ethnicities, abilities, and intersectional identities across the spectrum of our communications products.
When producing stories that depict people in situations of personal distress, humanitarian emergencies, or other difficult circumstances, pause and reflect… would we want to be captured this way, at a time when we were made vulnerable by circumstances beyond our control?
Seek out imagery that portrays people with a range of emotion and facial expressions.
Take care to include images of children with their families, friends or community members
Be mindful of how camera angles body positions and facial expression can exaggerate isolation or vulnerability.
Be mindful that cropping, blurred backgrounds, and other forms of editing should be used with integrity and care.
Seek out images that are of high quality.
Be conscious of personal perspectives and biases, and how the imagery created reflects on CACHA.
Take special care that imagery does not depict a power imbalance between often white CACHA volunteers and often racialized local participants

Consistently use simple portraiture as it is passive and often provides limited context
Use imagery where people are not fully clothed; where people are experiencing trauma, extreme hunger or famine; where people are dirty, bloodied, or where flies are visible; and where people are crying, screaming, or otherwise in physical or emotional distress.
Overuse imagery and stories featuring young, African children and mothers. This plays into negative, stereotypical portrayals of Black women and children as perpetually vulnerable.
Use imagery of identifiable people experiencing personal distress, humanitarian emergencies, or other difficult circumstances that does not seems respectful or dignified.
Depict people who participate in international assistance projects as though they experience only misery or joy, but nothing in-between
Rely often on imagery of young children who are framed alone, because this can create inaccurate perceptions of isolation and abandonment.
Use angles that look down on someone because this can create a greater sense of vulnerability, need or sadness.
Use editing or graphic design techniques to remove the context from images in a way that oversimplifies or misrepresents the situation.
Use images that are grainy, drab, poorly lit, or have no clear subject as they may negatively impact the storytelling.
Hesitate to ask questions and get feedback from colleagues to ensure that photos, videos, illustrations and graphics are inclusive and respectful.
Create or use imagery that puts civil society leaders, government officials, or mission/project leads front-and-centre at the expense of local people, perpetuating a white saviour narrative.

Appendix B

CACHA PHOTO AND VIDEO CONSENT FORM

Do

Don't