The ‘toxic’ hero narrative: Red Cross youth leader says calling volunteers ‘heroes’ all the time can actually put them at great risk

It’s quite common to refer to volunteers and first-responders as ‘heroes’. After all, they often risk their lives to save others. But in some cases, can that hero narrative do more harm than good? Ukraine Red Cross volunteer and IFRC Youth Commission member Maryna Kozhedub answers unequivocally ‘yes’, especially for young volunteers. Calling them heroes in conflict situations puts unreal expectations and pressure on people who are also impacted by crisis. “I am absolutely against hero narratives,” she says. “I'm about the narrative that volunteers work hard, but they are humans who have needs and should be protected and cared for, because this pressure would be enormous for anyone.”