It is no gainsaying that globalization has truly changed the modalities of doing business in the 21st century. The increased rate of interconnectedness and global interdependence has generated the need for many companies to spread their tentacles abroad if they must have a competitive advantage and wield global relevance in today’s fast-changing global economy. The development and geographical expansion of international corporations are however not usually a walk in the park.
There’s a wide array of expatriation processes that must be networked in order to manage a subsidiary or branch in a geographical territory or culture that is different from the headquarters.
Before we explore the factors that determine whether or not an international assignment is successful, it is only relevant to examine some of the other reasons why international corporations send assignees abroad.
The first reason is position filling (SHRM, 2017). Expats are sent on international assignment mostly if there is a position that no local could fill. This is mostly due to a lack of sufficient skills and expertise that allows one to function optimally in a given role. At this juncture, suitable expats are sent from the headquarters or sourced externally to fill an existing gap. This is mostly a common occurrence in the construction sector.
The second reason expatriates are sent on international assignments is to have them develop their managerial skills by gaining access to an international context of doing business, thereby fostering career growth (UKEssays, 2018). Many multinational companies (MNCs) use expatriate assignments as a leadership development tool. These MNCs often send their managers and executives internationally in an attempt to develop their knowledge of the international economic environment and their ability to work and manage effectively across national borders (Tung, 1998).
Repatriates, who have completed a global assignment, can help establish and expand an MNC’s international business because they possess first-hand knowledge of particular cultural contexts, including information about specific markets and customers. Repatriates understand how the company is perceived in another country and are part of a global social network that can advance the company’s business.
Another reason why multinationals send expats on international assignments is to enter a new market. Expats are sent on assignment to a new territory to analyze the market to see whether the company’s products or services will attract clients and users.
The last reason is to control and coordinate the global activities of a company (Bonache et al., 2001; Harvey and Novicevic, 2001) as it is in the company’s interest to integrate its transnational activities. Through their expatriates, the companies seek to replicate the values and objectives of their home offices in the culture of the branch where the international assignment is taking place.
Having discussed some of the reasons why companies send expats on international assignments, I will now examine five important factors that determine success in international assignments for expats.
The factors that contribute to the success of expats on international assignment can be classified into 5 categories: job knowledge and motivation; relational skills; flexibility and adaptability; extra-cultural openness; family situation (Arthur, Bennet; 1995, cited by Weber; 2004).
Job knowledge and expertise. The importance of possessing the technical skills relevant to a role cannot be overemphasized. This is one of the major factors that guarantee optimal work delivery in an international assignment. As already mentioned, one of the reasons multinational enterprises send expats on a foreign assignment is to transfer skills and knowledge to a branch. Suffice it to say that one can only transfer the skills and expertise one possesses.
Relational skills. Accepting to go on an international assignment is invariably accepting to leave the people you are already familiar with to interact with a new set of unfamiliar people and colleagues. Relational skills go beyond the knowledge of the business model and professional experience to include personal traits such as patience, trustworthiness and honesty, empathy and understanding, reliability and dependability, influence, and persuasiveness.
Flexibility and adaptability. These refer to one’s ability and willingness to respond and adjust to changes by balancing your core beliefs to accommodate the norms in one’s current environment. An expat would only be successful to the degree he or she is able to adapt to new processes, methodology, and procedures.
Extra-cultural openness.The concept of cultural intelligence captures an individual’s capacity for successful adaptation to new and unfamiliar cultural settings and ability to function easily and effectively in cultural environments worldwide including situations characterized by cultural diversity (Earley & Ang, 2003; Earley & Mosakowski, 2004). It is an individual’s capability to deal effectively with people from a different cultural background and understanding (Earley & Ang, 2003). International assignments involve going to a country with an array of different cultural preferences. In order to avoid stress and frustration, an expatriate must possess some level of global competency.
Family situation. The family situation is a key factor that determines whether or not an assignment is successful. Organizations have the responsibility to cater to their employees during an international assignment. However, does this care and concern extend to the expat family? After all, the success of an international assignment cannot be taken into account separately from family support. As a matter of fact, people would choose to leave their international assignments in order to save their marriages (Weinberger; 2020).
Getting a coaching session with Angie Weinberger could already be a step in the right direction of making an international assignment successful. You can so sign up here to receive offers for free online workshops and updates on the upcoming HireMeExpress program.
About the Author
Oyindamola Adedokun is an experienced Mobility Professional with expertise in talent mobility across Africa. He is experienced in engaging proven measures to provide both SME (Small and Mid-size enterprises) and Large-size multinationals end-to-end support in on-boarding expatriates in Nigeria.
With his practical experience, Oyindamola manages a broad range of Immigration facilities such as STR visa, Temporary Working Permit, CERPAC, Quota Approval from the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Interior. He also consults potential foreign investors who are trying to explore the many untapped opportunities present in the Nigerian market on the legalities of establishing a foreign enterprise in Nigeria.
With a demonstrated history in the oil and energy sector, Oyin currently manages the immigration facilities of well over 100 expats in one of the leading oil servicing companies in West Africa.
References
Earley, P.C., & Ang, S. (2003). Cultural intelligence: Individual interactions across cultures. Palo Alto: Stanford University Press.
Earley, P.C., & Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural intelligence. Harvard Business Review, 82, 139-153.
Starting a business (and keeping it running) is hard work. I mean, hard! But it is all worth the time, money, and effort invested for those with a passion, a plan, and a reliable support system. It’s going to be a rollercoaster ride, though. Between the rewarding highs of seeing the spark of interest in a student’s eyes or the genuinely thankful client, you were able to help. Then, there are the lows of the stress and responsibilities that come with being an entrepreneur, and you might wonder if you did the right thing by making changes or if you are going to make it. But the freedom to focus your energy on what you have most at heart allows you to grow, live for your purpose, and live from it too!
It requires a lot of discipline, physical and mental fitness, and friends who will not leave you if you have not been in touch for more than a week. You need a life partner and family who are entirely behind your decision, and you need to be prepared to work harder than ever. After almost ten years of building and running an offline and online business with freelancers in different locations and a diverse client base, I consider myself a pro.
Finding Your Purpose as an Expat Coach
A few years back, the business was drained, and the savings were used up. I had invested in two additional courses. I was ready to give up and get a full-time job. I even said “yes” to a full-time job offer. But then “fate” kicked in. In a very relaxed moment during our first RockMeRetreat, I knew the answer was a clear “No.” I was not ready to start a full-time job in a leadership role again, where I would spend all my energy on maneuvering politics, playing the game, coaching a team, and sitting at a desk for more than six hours a day. Yes, I was very disappointed when the company told me that they wanted to hire somebody else. I was down and scared, but at the same time, I was relieved. And I knew this feeling. It was the freedom smell. Deep down inside, I knew that I would always fall back on my feet and have all the skills within me to make a living. I once again felt the fear (and did it anyway). (There’s a book about that).
Let’s help Expats Find Their Intrinsic Motivation
This post is not a pep talk on how we should leap out of our comfort zone and fight for survival daily because this adrenaline level is not suitable in the long run. We only need this kind of adrenaline in an actual emergency during a tornado or a pandemic, but not every day for years on end. A job is great. A paycheck is wonderful. A sick day is sensational. A sponsored coffee is amazing. A paid holiday is fantastic. Burnout isn’t. You probably wonder how you keep the energy drainers out of your work environment, and my advice about this is a simple one: Focus on your well-being first. Focus on that as long as you need, stop eating junk food, walk regularly, stop working after six hours, and change your routine to fit your life. Most of the issues we have at work come from our fear of not being enough. We overcompensate. You might think that you need to achieve that next level, subsequent promotion, or next salary band. Then you will have a wonderful life. But let me be honest with you: There is a price you pay for that. And this price might not be what you are looking for right now. I am in favor of abandoning many of the typical HR systems. Let us give our people the benefit of the doubt again and help them find their intrinsic motivation.
We should help them work on projects where they can thrive, help them develop client relationships they will find engaging, and above all, we should change lives. Passion is a better driver than security for entrepreneurs as employees. And if you doubt now how you can help your team get to that level, we should have a conversation. I would say first of all: Everybody still has a ton to learn in this world. Understanding that we are always learning is the first step toward growth. Many people, especially women, need help to find the confidence to move ahead. In Switzerland, many women grew up in a male-dominated environment where they learned to work more than their peers to be recognized, and when they tried to move up the ladder, and had to show their teeth. Then a manager told them that they were too aggressive and too pushy.
They started to have self-doubts and fell into a complacent state where moving up was no longer an option. I know many excellent women with the busy-bee and Aschenbroedel-syndrome. They run their departments silently in the background, while a male colleague gets the bonus and the honors. They start initiatives and get criticized. They speak out in meetings, and someone else picks up the thread, and everyone applauds the other guy.
Help Female Expats and Rainbow Talent Be Heard
We can all do our share to help them thrive. Sometimes an encouraging hug or a pep talk during lunch or a job referral might just be what they need. My team and I started helping more diverse women. We work with women from developing countries, women with more seniority, and women from minority backgrounds. Whatever their backgrounds, women with young children also face obstacles and prejudice in the labor market. Managers often assume they will miss work when their children are sick or that they will leave early. I’m ashamed to say that, but we diligently exclude certain people from the workforce here in Switzerland, depriving them of the fundamental right to work. It’s not always intentional, but we cannot always blame unconscious bias for our decisions.
Some companies forgo excellent candidates because the humans who make up that company cannot move beyond their prejudice about women (even more so if they come from developing countries, have young children, have gaps in their resume, or are LGBTQ+, or disabled). It is frequent for people with a refugee background who cannot produce the required papers and certificates for specific jobs to face many challenges when accessing the job market. People suffering from mental health problems such as depression and talents who might be on the autism spectrum or have schizophrenia face numerous barriers when searching for a job. We might not be able to create a significant groundswell today and start a revolution, BUT we can change lives, one person at a time.
“I’m on a Mission to bring the Human Touch back into Global Mobility (through Digitalization).”
Angie Weinberger preparing for a Red Couch Talk
As we delve deeper into the world of entrepreneurship, diversity, equity, and inclusion, it becomes increasingly apparent that these are not mere buzzwords but pillars of our collective future. In this extended discussion, we will explore the significance of fostering a diverse and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem, the challenges faced by underrepresented groups, and the strategies to overcome these obstacles.
The Power of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Entrepreneurship has long been considered a realm of opportunity, a space where innovative ideas can flourish, and dreams can come to life. However, the path to entrepreneurial success has not always been equally accessible to all. Historically, certain demographics, particularly women, underrepresented groups, and individuals from underprivileged backgrounds, have faced systemic barriers that hindered their entrepreneurial journey.
In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of the immense value that diversity and inclusion bring to the world of entrepreneurship. Research has consistently shown that diverse teams and founders are more likely to achieve higher financial returns, foster innovation, and solve complex problems effectively. In essence, diversity is not just a moral imperative but a strategic advantage for any entrepreneurial endeavor.
Challenges on the Road
While the benefits of diversity are evident, it’s crucial to acknowledge the unique challenges faced by underrepresented groups. These challenges range from limited access to capital and resources to biases in investment decisions. For female entrepreneurs, the gender pay gap and the scarcity of female investors further exacerbate these hurdles. Similarly, individuals with disabilities encounter obstacles in terms of physical accessibility and societal stigmatization. The lack of understanding and accommodation for mental health challenges can also deter talented individuals from pursuing entrepreneurial ventures. Moreover, women of color often face a double burden of racial and gender discrimination, making it essential to address intersectionality in discussions of diversity and inclusion.
Strategies for Inclusion
In our quest to build a more inclusive Global Mobility landscape, several strategies have emerged as effective tools for change.
Accessible Funding Opportunities: Creating funding mechanisms that are more inclusive and accessible to a broader range of entrepreneurs is paramount. This includes venture capital firms actively seeking diverse founders, crowdfunding platforms, and government initiatives that provide grants and loans to underrepresented groups.
Mentorship and Support Networks: Mentorship programs that pair experienced entrepreneurs with aspiring ones have proven to be instrumental in leveling the playing field. These relationships offer guidance, advice, and valuable connections.
Education and Training: Equipping aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed is vital. Educational programs, workshops, and incubators designed for underrepresented groups can provide the necessary tools to thrive in the entrepreneurial world.
Breaking Down Biases: Addressing unconscious biases in investment decisions and workplace practices is an ongoing effort. Diversity and inclusion training, blind recruitment processes, and transparent evaluation criteria can help mitigate bias.
Policy Changes: Advocating for policy changes at local, national, and international levels is essential. These policies should promote diversity in hiring, access to education, and equitable distribution of resources.
Celebrating Success Stories: Highlighting the achievements of diverse entrepreneurs not only inspires others but also challenges stereotypes. Recognizing and celebrating these success stories is a vital part of creating a more inclusive entrepreneurial culture.
A Collective Mission for Change
In conclusion, the journey toward a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape is a collective mission that requires the efforts of individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. It is not merely about opening doors but also about ensuring that once those doors are open, everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive. The entrepreneurial world is a dynamic and innovative space, and by embracing diversity and inclusion, we can unlock its full potential, change lives, and bring about a brighter future for all. We might not be able to create a significant groundswell today and start a revolution, BUT we can change lives, one person at a time. Join us in our mission.
Committing to diversity, equity, and inclusion in Global Mobility, we can pave the way for a more prosperous, inclusive, and innovative future, where every voice is heard, and every dream has a chance to flourish.
Job postings are crucial in attracting diverse talent, but overt and subtle discriminatory language can inadvertently exclude certain groups. In Switzerland, where diversity is supposedly valued, discriminatory language must be recognized and eliminated from job advertisements. Creating inclusive job postings in Switzerland fosters diversity and attracts many talents. Organizations can contribute to a more equitable and welcoming job market by carefully crafting language and eliminating unintentional biases.
Why do we need to get better at writing inclusive job postings?
Diverse Talent Pool: Inclusive language attracts candidates from various backgrounds, promoting a diverse and dynamic workforce. We suffer from a lack of talent, and at the same time, we hold back diverse talent from applying to our jobs because we use exclusive language and portray an image that stops great talent from applying. A study by Harvard researchers, carried out on a job platform, revealed that adverts for roles in stereotypically ‘male’ areas, such as analytical or management roles, attracted a higher proportion of qualified male applicants than females. We need to actively encourage female and rainbow talent to apply.
Legal Compliance: Discriminatory language can have legal consequences. In Switzerland, adhering to anti-discrimination laws is essential to maintaining a fair hiring process. Still, research by ETH confirms that there is widespread discrimination not only against hiring from abroad but also towards second-generation immigrants IN Switzerland.
“Ethnic discrimination in hiring decisions has been well-documented in many countries, with ethnic minority jobseekers writing about 50% more applications before being invited for a job interview than their majority competitors (Zschirnt and Ruedin 2016). However, it is not only first-generation immigrants that are affected by ethnic discrimination but also their offspring.”
Corporate Reputation: Job postings reflect the company’s values. Inclusivity enhances the organization’s reputation and fosters a positive employer brand. I mentioned the Coop fiasco recently and I think there are enough challenges for inclusion in the Swiss workplace so if you would like to attract more foreigners you need to understand inclusion better and also work towards better inclusion in your onboarding process.
Focus on Skills and Qualifications: Emphasize the skills and qualifications necessary for the job, avoiding unnecessary criteria that may exclude certain groups. Explain the exact necessity of language proficiency and add the roster from the European language certificate framework.
Apply Cultural Sensitivity: Be aware of cultural biases and use language welcoming to candidates from various cultural backgrounds. Learn about white supremacy and privilege to reduce bias and stereotypes in your recruiting process. The Global Rockstar Album has an extensive reading list on the topic, and I offer customized workshops on unconscious bias and inclusive leadership.
Use Disability-Inclusive Language: Frame job requirements around skills, allowing individuals with disabilities to showcase their abilities.
Avoid Age-Related Language: Avoid terms that may imply age preferences. Instead, focus on the required skills and experience.
Incorporate Diversity Statements: Include a diversity statement highlighting the company’s commitment to an inclusive workplace. Encourage women and rainbow talent to apply even if they do not meet the full criteria of the job posting.
Seek Input from Diverse Teams: When crafting job postings, consult with employees from diverse backgrounds to ensure inclusivity.
Review and Update Regularly: Job postings should be reviewed and updated regularly to align with evolving diversity and inclusion best practices.
Check Your Imagery and Look and Feel: What message does your recruiting website convey through its imagery and look and feel? Ask users of different generations and backgrounds to give feedback on the “vibe” they get from your recruiting website and all your social media channels.
Be approachable: Ask your recruiters and hiring managers to post roles and be approachable for questions. Ask them to accept candidate connection requests and have a qualitative database for direct feedback on your candidate experience. There is so much you could learn from listening to diverse candidates.
By adopting these practices, organizations in Switzerland can create job postings that comply with legal requirements and foster a welcoming and inclusive workplace culture. Please book a first consultation with Angie Weinberger for expert guidance on creating inclusive job postings and fostering a diverse workplace.
A famous Swiss supermarket had an incident where an employee in the sales area wanted to wear a head scarf, but they did not allow her to do that, so she resigned. Unfortunately, this happens to a company that promotes being open and living diversity, equity, and inclusion. I don’t see a s*** storm happening, and it seems that in Switzerland, this is acceptable, and I’m afraid I have to disagree.
In Switzerland, the land of Zwingli and Calvin, the majority religious group is Roman Catholic, with approximately 37% of the Swiss population. The reformed Evangelical community makes up 25%. 5% of the Swiss population is Muslim, mainly from the Balkans and Turkey.Around 30% of the population have no religious affiliation.
According to Wikipedia, there are approximately 20’000 Jews in Switzerland, and more than 50 percent of Jewish households reside in Zurich, Geneva, and Basel. There is also growing concern about antisemitism in Switzerland, as in many other countries in the world.
With global polarization growing, I am compelled to remind everyone how we can contribute to building a more inclusive work environment. If you haven’t yet bought “The Global Rockstar Album,” this would be an excellent first step.
How you can help Religious Minorities in Companies in Switzerland
Multinational companies in Switzerland promote an “inclusive” culture. Everyone should have the same opportunities within the company, regardless of their religious or cultural background. While I often hear that Switzerland is so intercultural because it has four different language regions and is located in the middle of Europe, I experience a different reality. In public discussions, we discuss differences but hardly touch on pragmatic solutions for helping each other get along. Here are 14 easy-to-implement ideas to make your minority employees feel more included in your workforce.
We help our clients gain confidence. We point out that Switzerland is an open country with a long history of religious freedom. That includes the freedom to not believe in anything at all. We raise the intercultural competence of the employees in the companies we work with, but we cannot reach everyone in the country. I am embarrassed when I hear stories of attacks, fear, and overt discrimination. We wish for our clients to be welcomed with open arms in everyday life and in the companies they work for, regardless of their cultural and religious backgrounds.
Since 2000, I have observed that many global companies have developed intercultural competence in their staff and managers, mainly through training and legislative minimum standards. While this is better than nothing, more is needed. In Switzerland, the current trend in diversity training is to uncover our “unconscious bias,” i.e., how our unconscious stereotypes affect our hiring and promotion decisions. We tend to like people who look like us, think like us, behave like us, and come from similar backgrounds. This is also called the “Mini-Me syndrome.”
I don’t see many corporate discussions around intercultural, interracial, and interreligious differences and commonalities. The main reason is that these differences tend to be seen as personal differences more often than cultural differences outside of intercultural training. Once there is a conflict, it is usually attributed to the individual rather than cultural background. Or the other way around: Negative judgments are attributed to cultural background rather than individual behavior. Hardly anyone I know has enough knowledge to distinguish between a stereotype and a tendency (that might not be a stereotype but true for most people with this cultural background, provided they have spent most of their lives in that cultural background).
We should encourage intercultural discussions more often. Awareness creates acceptance in a multicultural environment. In Tourism, we treat customers differently according to their cultural background. By considering a few minor but effective adjustments, companies can provide a discrimination-free environment and welcome everyone with open arms.
1) Religion is a private matter for every employee, and it should not affect their work performance. If we focus our assessments on performance rather than on person, we are on the right track.
2) Minorities might need short breaks to pray. If we use a trust-based time management system rather than strict time control, we can ensure that religious minorities have prayer time during the day.
3) In hospitals, physicians must learn gender-related rules that religious minorities must observe, especially when a man treats a woman. In case of doubt, ask the patient.
4) In tourism, we must learn what is important to clients from the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia. For example, due to the ban on burqas, we might no longer be able to serve those clients in Switzerland.
5) In the police, we need to move away from stereotyping and get a clear understanding of why many young men feel overburdened with life in another culture. At the same time, their families at home depend on their financial support.
6) As therapists and other health care professionals, we need to learn how the trauma of war and being alone when you come from a collectivist cultural background might affect your psyche. We also need to understand that counseling might not be a concept in many of the home cultures of minority employees (assuming they did not grow up in Europe or the US).
7) We need to differentiate the social classes of the person we speak to. If you have an Islamic banker or a writer who has fled from Afghanistan, then you are likely to have no misunderstandings because you can communicate with both in German and English. But if you talk to a less educated colleague who has just arrived in Switzerland and does not yet speak the language well, then you will need to simplify your language and use techniques to check if he or she understands you. Avoid speaking in the child’s language and use proper German or English.
8) To better deal with cultural differences, we must train our staff members as authorities, medical assistants, personal assistants, and company receptionists. It would help if they were less judgemental and more understanding of inclusion.
9) We can get the basics right for inclusion. Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Jains, and many other religious minorities need to know what they eat and drink. You can install signs in the canteen and explain what is in the food. You can offer one vegetarian, vegan, halal, and kosher dish. It would be best if you did that anyway in a modern canteen.
10) Stop forcing anybody to drink alcohol: At the infamous Swiss Apéro, you can show which drinks contain alcohol and explain that everyone is welcome, even if they don’t like wine. You can make it a point to offer non-alcoholic cocktails and accept that people will cheer you with a glass of water (even if that is against the “Knigge”).
11) You can approve extended holidays over festivals to fly or drive home. You can adapt your company policy to give more flexibility for different religious holidays by providing a holiday budget. This is especially helpful in restaurants and other businesses with a large proportion of migrants
12) We can congratulate religious minorities on their holidays. Maintaining a global holiday calendar and working out content for your in-house communication is easy. https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/
13) We can provide prayer and meditation rooms for our staff. This will help all staff members have quiet zones to contemplate, pray, or meditate in these hectic times. This would help all of us, and offering group meditation courses could be a well-being perk you provide in your company because you care about the well-being of all employees.
14) We can provide more internship opportunities to refugees. Many refugees cannot prove their formal qualifications and will fall through the roster of our recruitment processes. Still, we could see how they work if we provide them with more internships. An internship is an excellent way for you to learn more about an employee. We need to change our policies to offer internships to anyone (and take out the age limit). We would also help women who have a hard time returning to the workforce after a career break if we offered more inclusive internships with fewer barriers.
I hope these 14 pragmatic ideas will help you build an environment where your religious minority employees feel more included.
Joseph Shaules and Ishita Ray discuss intuition and the “feel-good fallacy.” This is a highly critical discussion of intercultural interactions and #globalcompetency. Many of us fall into this trap and think having the right attitude or mindset is sufficient to “do right by the other”. This is largely a minimizing assumption, denying embodied cultural beliefs, values, and behaviors.
Listen to the latest episode of the #DeepCulture Podcast: Cultural Intuitions and the Feel-good Fallacy to understand why. In this episode, Ishita Ray and I explore cultural intuitions–the ability to “read the air” and interpret our environment.
We want to share a few thoughts about the situation in Gaza. For the sake of humanity (as a whole, and the humanity of all our brothers and sisters in Israel and Palestine), please take these points into account when you read information online and especially before you like or repost something you find on social media. Use social media responsibly. Use social media to do good. Remember, a minority commits acts of terrorism, and the large majority of people in the world do not support terrorists.
Support Your Expats in a Geopolitical Conflict as a Global Mobility Manager
Clarify your roles and responsibilities for the expat and business traveler population affected by conflict and war. Your company should have an emergency crisis committee. Gain access to become a member of this committee.
Understand what your exact role is in handling life-and-death situations.
Check-in with your Expats and Travelers personally. Ensure they know what to do and who to contact, especially if they are new to the country.
Keep these principles in mind when sharing news on social media
Only share from trustworthy sources: The British government came up with this motto as mnemotechnic support: Take care with what you SHARE, where each letter forming the word “share” is a point on a checklist to make sure you are careful (Source, Headline, Analyze, Retouched, Error – https://sharechecklist.gov.uk/#the-checklist).
Watch out for propaganda and fake news: It is easy to share disinformation unaware. Be critical and ask yourself who wrote or published the content, what they claim, and whether the site shows bias.
Beware of clickbait. It appeals to your emotions and curiosity, but those do not warrant information quality. You can often recognize clickbait and fake news in their persuasive language. Persuasive language can make any media more engaging and convincing. However, its ultimate purpose is to win your trust and influence your thoughts even if the facts do not support the arguments. Curiosity-picking language is typical of clickbait. Be careful, look beyond the rhetoric, and think for yourself.
Give people space to grieve: If you come across a post about a grieving person, the best you can do is offer support. Hate comments certainly won’t help anyone.
Be aware of echo chambers: An echo chamber in digital media results from the algorithms and activity tracking that govern what content a person sees on any platform. This results in that person only encountering information or opinions that reflect and reinforce their own. Echo chambers can create misinformation and distort a person’s perspective.
Donations and Grass-Roots Organization
Amid this chaos, there are countless organizations and spontaneous campaigns to help refugees, and we wanted to be sure we gave to a trustworthy organization. We know there is a lot of goodwill, but it’s hard to know whom to trust. If you consider grass-roots support, these guidelines might help. Here are things you should consider:
Not all charities have the resources to provide relief as quickly as necessary. It would be wise to check and see if the charity already has a presence in the Middle East.
Should you send clothing and food, these items may not be the most practical. Delivering them to Palestine and Jordan could create logistical challenges. They also often create a lot of extra waste if they cannot be used immediately.
Is the charity experienced in providing emergency relief?
Humanitarian Organizations
Some humanitarian organizations are experienced in disaster relief and would be the best to help deliver assistance as soon as possible. We want to recommend these organizations:
or Writing Inclusive Job Postings
