In this reflective piece, Dr Tabeth Masengu, Director of Policy and Advocacy at EU-CORD, draws on her experience in advocacy and Christian social action to explore how hope can become a driving force in our communication and policy work. Writing from a place of deep faith and conviction, she invites us to consider how hope-based communication can help us navigate global uncertainty, shifting political landscapes, and the challenges facing development cooperation today.
Hope-based communication will play a crucial role in navigating the tidal wave of uncertainty, the rise of nationalism, reduced funding for development cooperation, and fear.
“How do you create empathy and unity between people without giving them an ‘other’ to unite against?”
We live in a time when traditional appeals to morality, solidarity, or international responsibility are now struggling to resonate, creating a communication crisis that requires a new narrative; otherwise, development cooperation as we know it will disappear.
The Role of Narrative
A narrative describes related events or experiences, whether fictional or non-fictional. When surrounded by narratives of fear and anxiety, we tend to react with a fight-or-flight response:
- Fight — matching the perceived aggression
- Flight — avoiding engagement with opposing views
Both responses place us in a state of survival mode, making it challenging to foster empathy and understanding, particularly towards those who hold opposing values.
Called to Hope
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” — Romans 15:13
Overflowing with Hope in Advocacy
What does an overflow of hope look like in the policy and advocacy space we are currently navigating? Perhaps it resembles a technique called Hope-based communication. Hope-based communications operate on the principle that we should focus on building the world we want, setting the agenda with our values, goals, and mission.
Research shows that we spend 70% of the time talking about problems and only 30% on solutions – it should be the opposite.
Part of our calling as a Christian community is to be a light to the world, letting our light shine so that our good deeds may glorify God. To do this effectively, we need to be looking for new narratives that help us work together, find solutions, and rethink the systems that shape our future.
Creating Our Own Stories
Hope-based communication requires that we tell our own stories, which make people believe that the change we seek is possible and desirable. Perhaps, we should shift our focus from counteracting opposing messages to creating our own narratives that set the agenda.
If we are always trying to put fires everywhere, we have no time to build our own strong foundations.
What image do we want people to have in mind when they think about or read about an advocacy cause that is important to us? Once we have a clear vision, we also need to understand our audience to cultivate empathy, not sympathy, effectively. Empathy for the individuals whose voices and stories we want to share.
Choosing Hope-Based Communication
When it is so tempting to react to our opponent’s frames and actions, hope-based communication offers a simple formula for telling stories of our own that contribute to the long-term changes in ideas, attitudes, and behaviour we want to bring about. In this way, hope-based communication will play a crucial role in navigating the tidal wave of uncertainty, the rise of nationalism, reduced funding for development cooperation, and fear.
Using hope-based communication in our advocacy efforts does not ignore the realities of our present times or deny the fact that this is a challenging period for development cooperation and humanitarian action everywhere. We are not denying the problem when we focus our energies on presenting solutions — a vision for the world we want to see and how we can contribute to it.
By utilising hope-based communication, we acknowledge the realities surrounding us while recognising that improvements are possible. We believe we can contribute to the solution because our Creator designed us to be His hands and feet on this earth.
Holding Hope and Reality Together
Acknowledging global challenges and maintaining hope are not mutually exclusive; we can simultaneously embrace both. We have the power to choose what to focus on. Just as Joshua made it clear whom he and his household would serve, we must define our approach to shaping the future and driving our advocacy messages and strategies.
Will we allow fear to guide our communication and advocacy strategies, or will we let hope inspire us to be part of the solution?
It’s essential to focus on strengthening our foundations rather than putting out the fires around us.
References
- Romans 15:13 — Paul’s encouragement to live in joy and peace, trusting God so that hope overflows through the Holy Spirit.
- Communication research statistic — Studies in advocacy and journalism indicate public messaging often spends ~70% of time on problems vs. 30% on solutions, leading to a need for more constructive narratives.
- Matthew 5:14–16 — Jesus calls his followers “the light of the world” and instructs them to let their good deeds shine before others to glorify God.
- 1 Corinthians 12:12–27 — The Church as the body of Christ, with each member serving as God’s hands and feet in the world.
- Joshua 24:15 — Joshua declares, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord,” a call to define guiding principles.
- Hope-Based Communication framework — Developed by Thomas Coombes to help advocates focus on building positive visions instead of reacting to threats.
- Hope-Based Communication video — Introductory explainer by Thomas Coombes. Available at https://hope-based.com and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Up0zKkWJdQ.
