An assault on the words we use

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) warns that the US administration's purge of DEI-related terminology is extending globally, as international organizations and charities modify their language to secure funding or avoid political pressure. While noting the erasure of terms like 'accessible' and 'vulnerable populations' from government materials, the document suggests this is an opportunity for communicators to move beyond tokenistic jargon toward more descriptive, empowering language that demonstrates the real impact of solidarity.

• The Trump administration has instructed US agencies to limit or avoid hundreds of words in government materials and school curricula, including terms such as 'accessible', 'Black', 'women', and 'vulnerable populations'.
• The pressure to eliminate DEI language is affecting global companies and organizations, as continued business or funding in the US may depend on alignment with executive orders.
• International organizations in Geneva, including UN offices, have faced questionnaires regarding their work on climate change and DEI following an 83% cut in US foreign aid.
• European charitable organizations are modifying their public language due to financial pressures from both US directives and European governments increasing defense spending at the expense of social services and aid.

APA

Rowley, S. (2025). An assault on the words we use. World Association for Christian Communication. https://waccglobal.org/an-assault-on-the-words-we-use/

Chicago

Rowley, Saskia. An assault on the words we use. World Association for Christian Communication, 2025. https://waccglobal.org/an-assault-on-the-words-we-use/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Rowley |first1=Saskia |title=An assault on the words we use |publisher=World Association for Christian Communication |date=24 March 2025 |url=https://waccglobal.org/an-assault-on-the-words-we-use/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{rowley2025assault, author = {Rowley, Saskia}, title = {{An assault on the words we use}}, publisher = {World Association for Christian Communication}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://waccglobal.org/an-assault-on-the-words-we-use/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }