Javier Fernández Contreras
Professor
HEAD Genève

Damien Greder
HUD PhD Researcher
HEAD Genève

Over the last two centuries, the public’s relationship with war and humanitarian crises has shifted in two opposing yet complementary ways. The first shift results in a distancing of our gaze; we are now concerned with crises in remote locations, whereas previously, we could only foresee those in close cities, regions, or countries. The second shift goes the opposite, embodying closeness and constant presence, even as it remains remarkably absent from our daily lives. Today, civilians can report the daily impacts of wars, conflicts, and humanitarian crises. Images are no longer created solely by external reporters but directly by those affected. Equipped with a smartphone and internet access, victims assume the dual role of live witnesses. This marks a gradual change in perspective, where the human body has gained prominence in representation. Bodies not only testify to a presence but also become personalised expressions of suffering, relief, or even resistance. This proximity influences the types of bodies depicted, as they do not conform to Westernised expectations. Simultaneously, algorithms serve as gatekeepers, often functioning as black boxes that can introduce new biases. Meanwhile, thousands of live image testimonials are generated on the ground; graphically appealing images are favoured, erasing raw suffering.

Humanitarianism and Social Media critically analyses the spatial representation of the human body in the context of ongoing humanitarian crises. This course aims to offer a political understanding of the construction of online images. By analyzing 15 geographies of contemporary violence, conflict, and displacement—ranging from Ukraine and South Sudan to the Darién Gap and Bangladesh—and considering the plurality of perspectives, from reporters and NGOs to celebrities and anonymous civilians (often victims), the analysis problematizes how social media is transforming the public’s relationship with humanitarianism. Based on information available online as of October 2024, students analysed over 7,000 images from 200 diverse social media accounts, covering institutional and anonymous sources, to compare official narratives with those of individual users. It questions whether digital imagery is creating a new phase of mediatization in the history of humanitarianism.

Data Credits:

Crisis analyzed, as of October 2024:

Afghanistan: 656 images from 15 accounts on Instagram and X

Kutupalong camp, Bangladesh: 503 images from 15 accounts on Facebook, Instagram and X

Darién Gap: 358 images from 11 accounts on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube

Democratic Republic of Congo: 360 images from 15 accounts on Facebook and Instagram

Lesvos, Greece: 146 images from 15 accounts on Facebook and Instagram

Haïti: 239 images from 15 accounts on Facebook and X

Iran: 662 images from 15 accounts on Instagram, TikTok and X

Za’atari camp, Jordan: 277 images from 18 accounts on Instagram and X

Dadaab camp, Kenya: 206 images from 17 accounts on Instagram

Lebanon: 632 images from 17 accounts on Instagram, Twitch, YouTube and X

Ukraine: 1,008 from 28 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram TikTok and X

West Sahel: 394 images from 12 accounts on Instagram

Students:

MAIA (Master of Arts in Interior Architecture), HEAD – Genève

Matilde Arletti, Martino De Grandis, Maxime Joost, Lina Laube, Bianca Longoni, Hugo Maia Schmitt, Letizia Milone, Ailyn Pieyre, Célestine Potin, Paul Rigal, Lisa Schober, Kim Schönauer, Karol Szmigielski, Mariannina Thielemans