Photovoice is a participatory research method that uses photography to highlight voices within communities, especially those often unheard. Developed in the 1990s for community health research, it empowers individuals to document and share their experiences around social issues, fostering co-creation of knowledge. Today, affordable digital tools make Photovoice a powerful way to communicate grounded perspectives on equity and social change.
The project
Together with Mekong Sub-region Social Science Resarch Centre of the University of Ubon Rachathani, Swedwatch co-designed Mekong Photovoice. The initiative brought together a group of community members from five villages in Northeast Thailand located in the Lower Mekong River Basin that are affected by cascade of hydropower projects.
During January 2023 and February 2024, a group of eleven community members from five villages joined the Mekong Photovoice intiative to document their everyday life using mobile phones. Throughout the year community members participated in Photovoice training, community workshops and stakeholder dialouges facilitated by the Mekong Sub-region Social Science Research Centre.
Read what some of the participants are saying about the photovoice project.
"The photovoices presented were very important when they were told and shared. First, it presented villagers’ standpoints and meanings embedded in the photos. Villagers could create their picture and presented it and told stories of their pic. I really like the way villagers told stories through pictures."
Looking at the photos, I observe the food security of the villagers. The Mekong still provides abundant resources. However, we must recognize the power of local people, especially their knowledge about the Mekong ecology. If a dam is constructed, both food security and the invaluable local knowledge about the Mekong will vanish. Policymakers should consider this a crucial factor before deciding to build more dams. It is essential to listen to the voices of local people regarding their lives and food security.
Villagers talked about photos on their own. Mothers and fathers shared their lives associated with the Mekong through photos. I find it incredibly moving and powerful. I can sense that Photovoice empowers villagers, allowing them to use their own photos to convey a powerful message to other influential figures. It [Photovoice] helps them see and learn from villagers. These photos should be displayed in government houses and various locations in big cities. From the photos, I can see that villagers' lives are highly dependent on natural resources of the Mekong, such as vegetables [from river bank gardens] and fish [from the river]. They live in a [socio-economically] marginalized area, far from us. However, their photo stories [emotionally] touch us. If more dams are constructed [on the Mekong], it raises concerns about how these people will cope and live without the resources. Dams could flood all the resources and force people to relocate.
"I believe that media has the power to effectively communicate the lives of people and their experiences. Photos [from Mekong Photovoice] serve as soft power of local communities. Images convey what is happening in these villages.” “As a media professional, I advocate for providing more space for local individuals who can produce media and photos to convey their stories. We need to create more meaningful media and [visual contents such as] photos that align with well-being of the people. Media can amplify the voices of the people, especially concerning the challenges faced by Mr. Kamol Homklin, local journalist "I believe that media has the power to effectively communicate the lives of people and their experiences. Photos [from Mekong Photovoice] serve as soft power of local communities. Images convey what is happening in these villages.” “As a media professional, I advocate for providing more space for local individuals who can produce media and photos to convey their stories. We need to create more meaningful media and [visual contents such as] photos that align with well-being of the people. Media can amplify the voices of the people, especially concerning the challenges faced by local communities. Collective voice has the potential to prevent detrimental projects that harm the well-being of local people."
