From Compassion to Consumption - 27 JUNE 2026 18:30 GMT +3 - Online Panel Discussion + Live Q&A - 90 Minutes -
From Compassion to Consumption - 27 JUNE 2026 18:30 GMT +3 - Online Panel Discussion + Live Q&A - 90 Minutes -
How should humanitarian stories be told when the people at the center are children, injured civilians, and survivors of war?
With special focus on the humanitarian crises of Gaza & the SWANA region, this panel invites a conversation about the ethics of visibility, consent, donor expectations, and the responsibilities of media and aid organizations.
In humanitarian communications, informed consent, dignity, and safeguarding are core standards, especially when children are involved.
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This discussion will examine how media exposure can help mobilize support, but also cause harm, retraumatization, and long-term risk when it is used without care. It will ask where the line is between witness and exploitation, and what ethical responsibility looks like for journalists, NGOs, fundraisers, and donors.
The conversation will also look at the power imbalance between those telling the story and those living it, especially in contexts of conflict and displacement. It will explore how donor culture shapes what gets shown, what gets funded, and what kinds of images are rewarded. -
1) Power, Consent, & Exploitation
Our first segment in this panel aims to raise awareness about ethical standards in humanitarian media and to start a discussion about the boundaries of privacy invasion of children survivors, and war survivors in general. The power in-balance relationship between non-profits and the beneficiaries, and the loss of agency will be the main theme of the first segment.
2) Psychological Harm, Children, & Cyber Risk
The second discussion will cover the immediate and long-term psychological effects on children of such exploitation and also being highlighted in public media domains with injuries and physical differences resulting from war. In addition to the risks and consequences of cyber identity theft of said children.
3) Donor Culture vs Donor Responsibility
The final segment will focus on donor culture influence on humanitarian marketing campaigns and shed light on the effects of colonial media perceptions of humanitarian crises and donor culture.
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Moderator: Chimene Medlej
Panelists:Roba Ghadban – Gaza Rehab Care Program Director – Taawon
Anaelle Saade – Safety & Mental Health Specialist
Malak Harb – Senior Producer – Associated Press
Guest Speaker
Alaa Harfoush – Co-Founder & Director - WFH
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• To better understand the ethics of publishing images of injured children and survivors.
• To explore the psychological and digital risks of public exposure.
• To reflect on donor responsibility and alternatives to pain-based fundraising.
• To hear grounded perspectives from people working directly with these realities. -
Your participation and engagement help spread awareness and support meaningful change.
Click here to register !
Roba Ghadban
Program Director at Taawon (Welfare- Association) Roba Ghadban is Program Director at Taawon (Welfare Association), a Palestinian civil society organization established in 1983 and dedicated to strengthening Palestinian communities through education, social welfare, and humanitarian response. Central to her current work is the Gaza Rehab Care initiative (GRC), launched in January 2026 and grounded in Taawon’s report Rebuilding Rehabilitation Services for Amputees in Gaza - translating evidence of systemic collapse into a long-term coalition response.
Roba brings expertise in international development, environmental and social sustainability, and civil society governance, alongside a deep personal connection to the communities she serves.
Anaëlle Saadeh
Safety & Mental Health Specialist Anaëlle is a Safety, Security, and Mental Health (MHPSS) Specialist with over 12 years of experience in humanitarian and high-risk environments. She specializes in psychosocial safety, protection, crisis response, and support for vulnerable populations affected by conflict and displacement.
With extensive experience supporting journalists, human rights defenders, and frontline workers, she also delivers training on stress management, trauma awareness, and protection practices, with a focus on human rights, dignity, and ethical engagement with vulnerable communities.
Malak Harb is the Senior Video Producer for Lebanon and Syria at The Associated Press, based in Beirut. With more than two decades of experience, she has spent the last decade with AP reporting from across the Middle East on conflict, politics, humanitarian crises and social issues.
Harb specializes in field reporting from complex and often hostile environments. Her reporting has taken her across Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen, Iraq and the Gaza Strip, covering major events including the wars in Lebanon and Ukraine, the fall of Assad’s government in Syria, and the lifting of Saudi Arabia’s ban on women driving.
Senior Video Producer for Lebanon & Syria at The Associated Press (AP)Malak Harb
Chimène Medlej
Communication Strategist and Media Professional Chimène is a communication strategist and media professional with 15+ years of experience in media, digital communication, storytelling, and social impact. She has led communication initiatives for international agencies, NGOs, and EU-funded projects across the SWANA region and Europe.
Passionate about ethical and human-centered communication, she focuses on responsible storytelling, humanitarian contexts, and social impact, while actively supporting grassroots and community-driven initiatives that promote awareness, dialogue, and positive change.
Elsie Elias
Learning & Development Specialist, Facilitator & Project CoordinatorElsie’s journey spans consultative sales, corporate Learning & Development, and international NGO projects. She is passionate about how people, communities, and ecosystems grow, collaborate, and create impact. Bringing together her background in business, learning, and stakeholder engagement, she supports grassroots initiatives, community-led projects, and learning experiences that help people turn ideas into action and strengthen meaningful collaboration.
Alaa Harfoush
Co-Founder & Director Asociación Humanitaria Wings For Hope (WFH)