If the person helps and gives of the little they have, the content creator reveals that they are actually planning to give them money or something bigger. This is also related to the idea that help must be earned. Morottaja sees it as a positive that people are reminded of the importance of kindness. Something good can come from friendliness and helping others. “It is needed at this time. We have forgotten how to show compassion toward other human beings,” she says. At the same time, she thinks that the content is problematic, not only in terms of its solution models, but also from the viewpoint of intentions and power structures. Morottaja reminds us that a person who is indebted to an influencer may agree to the publication of a video, especially when something unexpected happens, but not everyone necessarily understands what they are agreeing to. Most major content creators don’t say at the start that they are filming the encounter but claim that they will ask permission to publish it afterwards. Even if that is the case, how many people would dare to refuse after receiving help? Or understand how much publicity a shopping spree at Target will get? Morottaja notes that privacy protection and dignity are often forgotten in these videos. For example, organizations usually have strict rules about how their visitors are presented on social or other media, especially where faces and names are concerned; they seldom publish anything that a severely intoxicated person says because the organization may regret it later. Journalists also carefully consider what to publish about people in vulnerable situations, especially anything that can identify the person. There are no such limits on social media. The videos on many accounts introduce us to very intoxicated substance users, young people who grew up in orphanages, half-dressed people experiencing homelessness, or people who have just been woken up on the street… From time to time, there is even worse content on social media. Morottaja recalls the so-called “bumfights” that were trending in the early 2000s where people experiencing homelessness were encouraged to fight and the camera was rolling. Something like that would probably be censored to some degree by the major social media channels these days. But emotional clips about kindness are the perfect material for difficult times. When people who have suffered trauma are interviewed without preparation and in surprising situations, they easily say all sorts of things on camera. This provides the kind of social media material that will make anyone cry. And brings more views. But the videos leave you with a tacky feeling. And maybe a few hundred thousand euros to one lucky person, while others are left on the streets. Translated from Finnish via Translators Without Borders Courtesy of Iso Numero / INSP.ngo OUR VOICE SHOULD ALSO BE HEARD Story by Jovana Cojder and Luka Todorovic EVERY YEAR IN BRUSSELS, the European Anti-Poverty Network organizes a conference that brings together not only activists but also people experiencing or who have experienced poverty and exclusion. The main goal of the event is to make people with lived experience visible, ensure that their voices are heard, and facilitate direct contact with policymakers. The organization Patrija, Liceulice partners from Novi Sad, has shared experiences from Serbia at this gathering for several years, enabling some of their beneficiaries to participate in the conference each time. This year, a member of Patrija and Liceulice vendor in Novi Sad, Boris Danilovac, attended the event in Brussels. Here are his impressions. This was Boris’s first flight. He was a little anxious about flying, but he said that the journey went well. The excitement and mild nervousness disappeared soon after the conference began. There, he had the opportunity to meet participants from different European countries, and he was also proud that he tried speaking in English. He especially enjoyed the workshops because he felt that people accepted him and that he could speak openly about the topics he wanted to discuss. While talking about this new experience, he remembers the period five years ago when he rarely went out and avoided meeting people he did not know. He is glad that he overcame that phase and said that conversations with people now mean a lot to him, especially while he is selling Liceulice on the street. “Poverty is greater in Serbia. I heard that we are one of the poorer countries in Europe. That makes me a little sad,” Boris said. He advises other people in a similar situation to sell Liceulice, and he would like them to visit Brussels too and be part of the conference. This experience inspired him to learn more about poverty and homelessness in Serbia, and he is also thinking about holding a workshop on this topic with volunteers from Patrija. Boris’s story reminds us that conferences like this are not just formal gatherings, but spaces where people get the chance to be seen, heard, and acknowledged; places where solidarity is built, experiences are exchanged, and a sense of shared struggle is created. The European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN) insists on improving policies, emphasizing the importance of the participation of people who have experienced poverty in decisions that concern them. Their inclusion is therefore not just a symbolic act, but a key condition for creating a fairer and more solidary society. Translated from Serbian by Rade Zivanovic Courtesy of Liceulice / INSP.ngo 6 NEWS
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