In our last two articles we have explained some of the reasons why language in the field of development changes and have given you some examples of terms that are not used any longer. But how can you actually find out which words are still ok to use when there is not always a consensus on which terms are ok to use? There are some tips that can help you maneuver this field.
The first thing you should do – not only if you write a proposal, but also when you want to prepare info material, write a homepage or publish any material about your work – is talk about it with your team. Many times word that can be insulting or are “outdated” keep being used because people are not aware of the deeper meaning of them. When you openly talk about the issues that might arise with particular words, you make sure that in the future people will be more conscious about their word choice.
It can be very difficult to know sometimes which words are still ok to use and which ones are not. When you write a proposal, it always makes sense to check the homepage of the donor to see which terms they are using. If you are unsure about particular words (i.e. if you should use beneficiary or stakeholder, third world country or developing nation), you can find the donors preferences in their own use of language. This should become an essential part of your donor research.
Particularly when talking about the people you work with, it makes a lot of sense to ask them what they would like to be called. Everybody needs to feel ok with the vocabulary you use. Give room for different opinions and learn from your partners – specifically if they are from the target group they might have their very own preferences. If the term they want to use is not commonly known, you should make a small note explaining it and the underlying process to the donor.
This all sounds very overwhelming. Don´t panic though, you do not have to change your entire vocabulary to write your next grant application. Just make sure the words you use are consciously chosen and mean what you actually want them to mean.
Eva is based in Germany and has worked for nearly a decade with NGOs on the grassroots level in Nepal in the field of capacity development and promotion of sustainable agricultural practices. Before that, she worked in South America and Europe with different organizations. She holds a Ph.D. in geography and her field of research was sustainability and inclusion in development projects.
