Ongoing process
The final Code of Conduct was presented at the DE Forum in Malta, in October 2006, and was approved by CONCORD General Assembly in June 2007.
Download the guide to the use of the code of conduct, finalised by DOCHAS, the Irish NGDOs platform
DEEEP offers cooperation to National platforms who would like to organise a training on the implementation of the Code of Conduct in their countries.
For more information on the ongoing process and the working group on the Code of conduct, contact John Smith (jsmith[at]trocaire.ie)
Code of Conduct on Good Practice on Images and Messages relating to the Third World
Background
In April 1989 the General Assembly of the European NGOs adopted a code of Conduct on Images and Messages relating to the Third World. The intention was that the Code would challenge and guide NGOs to be attentive to messages that could over-simplify or over concentrate on sensational aspects of life in the developing world, whether in education, public relations or fundraising activities.
In 2004 during the Summer School in Belgium, the issue of communicating on DE came up, and it was decided to look into the possibility of renewing the former NGO Code of Conduct on Images and Messages. Dóchas, the Irish NGDO Platform, volunteered to play a leading role in this process, as the promotion of codes of good practice is explicitly part of Dóchas's mission. In the Netherlands Development Education Forum in November 2004, Dóchas reiterated this commitment.
The first step Dóchas did was to commissioned an initial research and seeked opinions and recommendations towards an updated and more inclusive Code of Conduct.
Scope of the Code
The original Code was written by development education practitioners specifically to act as a guide to NGOs working in the international development arena. This remains a central focus of the updated Code. In addition however, the updated Code is designed to be of value to other organisations that communicate images and messages relating to Third World, such as for instance, media organisations.
Why was a Code needed?
The purpose of this Code is to provide a framework on which organisations can rely on when designing and implementing their public communication strategy. Given that these choices are inherently subjective, the Code offers a set of guiding principles that can assist practitioners in their decisions-making about which images and messages to choose in their communication.
