How do you get people to care?

Question

I am from Sudan. My country has been experiencing a horrific internal conflict for a little more than a year now, and it's only getting worse by the day. However, you can hardly hear about it in the news, on social media, or anywhere else.Now, I am not naive. I understand that the exposure a problem gets is influenced by various political, economic, and social factors, the least of which is the number of people actually affected by the issue. So, what I am asking is: what are the most effective and realistic ways to get people to care without political power, fame, or wealth? How can an ordinary person make a difference?

bell-cot · Accepted Answer

By "people", do you mean "Western mainstream media audiences"? Yeah, that would be extremely difficult. So long as there are no in-their-face consequences (say, the price of gasoline spiking upwards), and no too-obvious "why this is their fault" narratives - the great majority of Westerners really don't care about horrors happening far far away, to people who look quite different from them.
Yes, you could call the 1993 intervention in Somalia an exception. But note both the context - trends in World Events were looking very utopian back then, vs. now - and just how badly that Western intervention turned out.
With "ordinary person" resources, I'd suggest that you start by trying to document & organize the historical facts about what's happening. That at least improves the records of the tragedy, and of the people and things being lost. While helping you network with other people who really care. And perhaps, just perhaps, that can grow into some real improvement in things. And hopefully the history that you help document can be more than a thin comfort to the survivors and boon to future historians. Try to make it both an easy & authoritative resource for any mainstream Western journalists & activists who get interested, and also useful to any mostly-well-intended Western leaders who want to Do Something. Hopefully without botching it again.

jschveibinz · Answer

This is a good start. But you should know that news is not equal to caring. News is about generating revenue. I am sure that there are thousands of people outside of Sudan who are either concerned or working on how to alleviate the problems there: governments, UN, NGO's, non-profits, etc.I am sorry that the beautiful people of Sudan are experiencing this conflict. I hope that the better side of humanity will bring it to an end soon.

sogofet82 · Answer

I think doing what you are doing makes a difference. Citizenship journalism, blogging, raising awareness, writing letters to the editor of a newspaper, going to or organising a demonstration - all these things make a difference - as long as you keep doing them and get others involved.

bunbun69 · Answer

I have no idea where Sudan is. I don't know anyone from Sudan either. It isn't an economically important country either for the rest of the world... as such unfortunately people just don't care.

fragmede · Answer

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.― Antoine de Saint-Exup&eacute;ry

HelloNurse · Answer

War in Sudan is a problem of Sudanese people. Compare with war in Ukraine, which is a problem of Europe as a whole, or (future) war in Taiwan, which is a problem of TSMC.

BOOSTERHIDROGEN · Answer

I too wonder how ordinary people like us in any other country can improve or solve problems that affect us.

jarule · Answer

I am from SudanWell, there's your problem.

How do you get people to care?

I think doing what you are doing makes a difference. Citizenship journalism, blogging, raising awareness, writing letters to the editor of a newspaper, going to or organising a demonstration - all these things make a difference - as long as you keep doing them and get others involved.

I have no idea where Sudan is. I don't know anyone from Sudan either. It isn't an economically important country either for the rest of the world... as such unfortunately people just don't care.

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.
― Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

War in Sudan is a problem of Sudanese people. Compare with war in Ukraine, which is a problem of Europe as a whole, or (future) war in Taiwan, which is a problem of TSMC.

I too wonder how ordinary people like us in any other country can improve or solve problems that affect us.

I am from Sudan
Well, there's your problem.