Hi folks,
This week our thoughts are with a member of our team, who recently lost a child close to them in a tragic accident.
We are also mindful of the children around the world who are losing or at risk of losing their lives to genocide, starvation, war and violence. Our thoughts are with them and their kin.
—
We’re looking ahead to our first community session of the year, in two weeks time on 29 February from 1-2pm UK, where we’ll be discussing cross-movement narratives.
Shared in solidarity.
Session
Our first community gathering of the year will focus on the burning question: are there any unifying narratives that could work across movements in 2024?
Conleth Burns from More In Common will share insights from UK public attitudes. We will then share ideas and insights to launch into this participative session to explore this question together across movements.
This will be an unrecorded session. It is a space for us all to strategise together.
We look forward to seeing you on 29 February from 1-2pm GMT.
Survey
Sincere apologies if you’ve tried to access our survey before and not been able to.
You should be able to access and complete it now. It’s still quick and anonymous.
Thanks again for your support, and to those who have completed it so far 🫶
Shares
Key: 📝 Article | 📋 Report | ⚙️ Tool | 🎙️ Podcast | 🎬 Film
How to Fund Narrative Change Ecosystems
Mandy Van Deven, Jody Myrum; Non-Profit Quarterley
Reflections on the Global Narrative Hive gathering last year, with practical suggestions for funders and practitioners. “Narrative change is a fundamentally collective endeavor… In addition to making long-term, unrestricted grants funders need to provide resources in a way that centers the ecosystem rather than individual organizations.” With a clear warning to avoid “unwittingly replicating colonial inheritances, by popularizing (our) own perspectives and practices as the aspirational standard, claiming undue influence as gatekeepers and knowledge bearers,” instead emphasising “collective care” and “cultivating intergenerational solidarity”.
#narrativestrategy
Unmasking inequity: A closer look at the social impact sector’s wilful ignorance about Palestine
Paula Sahyoun; Future Of Good
“It’s time to speak out against oppression, cultural suppression, media bias, and false rhetoric wherever we encounter it. Solidarity statements and pledges to anti-racist practices mean little if they remain theoretical and are not backed by real-time action… Let’s elevate our sector’s response beyond mere calls for peace and understanding; while well-intentioned, for these calls to be effective, they must be bolstered by an anti-colonial power analysis. It’s time for intentional dialogue within our organizations, creating safe spaces for employees to discuss Palestine freely without fear of repercussion.” “Washing one’s hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.”
#tactics #issuenarrative
It’s a Mixed Credit-Fiat World
Steve Keen; Building a New Economics
This is very technical, but it reveals that the basic story of how our economy works is “absurdly false”, offering “proof that Modern Monetary Theory's analysis of government money creation is derived from a correct application of the rules of accounting, and is therefore better called ‘Modern Monetary Fact’”. This re-storying also offers an understanding of our frequent economic crises and what drives them: it is the reduction of government debt and accompanying increase in private debt that drives crises, not the other way around. Of course some people take profitable advantage of this delusion, which might explain its persistence. Hear more about this, and the history of the errors that led to the absurdity, here.
#issuenarrative
Reframing Narratives Around Care and Informal Work in Kenya, the UK and Zimbabwe: A synthesis of national research
Oxfam
Research intending to “identify the dominant narratives that influence public perceptions of care and informal work,” which “enabled the researchers to develop and test new narratives that could be used to improve public attitudes towards care and informal work.” In the UK we are encouraged to “Lead with the idea that caring is a collective activity that holds society together and contributes significantly to the wellbeing of the nations. This can shift people’s perceptions of care.”
#narrativestrategy #insight
100 Days of Building Power and Solidarity
Building Movement Project, Muslims for Just Futures
“Observations and Recommendations about Immediate and Long-Term Infrastructure Needs for Palestinian, Muslim, and Arab Groups in the U.S.” Lots to learn from this report on how Palestinian, Arab, Muslim and Solidarity groups in the US are responding to the current crisis, with recommendations for both immediate and long-term community building and solidarity. Also see this visualisation that accompanies it.
#tactics
Globally representative evidence on the actual and perceived support for climate action
Nature Climate Change
Evidence pointing to global pluralistic ignorance, “wherein individuals around the globe systematically underestimate the willingness of their fellow citizens to act,“ suggesting that “raising awareness about the broad global support for climate action (is) critically important in promoting a unified response to climate change.” Notable stats from their survey of 130,000 individuals across 125 countries: “69% of the global population expresses a willingness to contribute 1% of their personal income, 86% endorse pro-climate social norms and 89% demand intensified political action.”
#insight #tactics
Climate Visuals launches a new collection of air pollution photographs
Climate Outreach, Clean Air Fund
“Improving air quality is essential for addressing racial, gender and income inequalities. It is vital that the voices of people most affected by air pollution are included in campaigns and policy debates on air quality and climate change.” These 200 new photographs, taken in Indonesia, Poland, South Africa and the UK “are freely available for use in the non-profit, editorial and educational sectors and were commissioned in response to the scarcity of accurate, compelling and accessible photojournalism highlighting the impacts of air pollution alongside solutions to the problem.” This forms part of Climate Outreach’s work towards their “goal to be an anti-racist organisation.”
#issuenarrative
⚙️ See here
We Feed The UK
Gaia Foundation
“We Feed The UK is a major arts project pairing critically acclaimed photographers and poets with regenerative farmers, urban growers, sustainable fishers and grain rebels: the UK’s custodians of land, soil, sea and seed.” The project “brings together over 40 partners from the environment and arts sectors to tell time-critical stories across urban, rural and coastal areas, ranging from multi-generational, Black-led growing projects in London, to a majority-women workers cooperative in Edinburgh, via sustainable fishing along the south coast.”
#issuenarrative #stories
⚙️ See here
The Rise of the Far Right – And What We Can Do About It
Ece Temelkuran, Paul Hilder, Jon Alexander; The Conduit
An urgent, instructive conversation offering insight, tactics and solidarity for the elections this year and beyond. We are encouraged to understand the ‘fuck you’ vote, beware fragile consensus, and to speak in the language of basics, emotions, and deep purpose. We need to be ‘clear-eyed’ that democracy's promise of equality is impossible in the hands of the modern establishment, and that the nihilism and cynicism about democracy among the young is justified. Ultimately we must avoid navel-gazing self-flagellation and restore our own and others’ faith in humanity, asking ourselves “what’s mine to do?”
#narrativestrategy #tactics #insight
🎬 See here
Events
Is Democracy White?
Bayo Akomolafe, Achille Mbembe; Democracy and Belonging Forum | Feb 22nd | 17:00-18:30 CET (16:00 GMT) | Online
“A provisional, tentative, and tactile adventure in shared inquiry about the sensorial field of democracy that raises new questions in our journeying together,” building from Bayo’s recent essay ‘The Children of the Minotaur’, which “invites us to reconsider the very essence of belonging and democracy against the backdrop of climate chaos, geopolitical upheavals, and declining trust in democratic institutions from less familiar vantage points.” Part of an ongoing series The Edges in the Middle, “where philosopher and political theorist Achille Mbembe and Bayo will think with and through everyday objects around us to explore liberal democracy, its limitations, and its possible futures.” Also see Bayo’s invitation to a new Dreaming Together journey.
Healing the Dis-ease of Separation
Chief Ninawa Huni Kui; University Of The Forest | Feb 22nd 18:00 GMT | Online
“In this virtual presentation, Chief Ninawa will offer insights for navigating the complex challenges of our time, fostering a deeper understanding of our entanglement with nature.” See the University of The Forest for more.
The Fête of Britain
Factory International, Hard Art | Feb 22nd - 25th | Manchester
“A four-day celebration of collaboration and imagination in the face of the great challenges of our time. How can we face up to the challenges of the twenty-first century? How do we make the world safer, fairer and better for those we love and the place we call home? From the climate crisis to the cost of living, nothing is off the table at The Fête of Britain. Take your seat and have your voice heard across four days of play, workshops, people’s assemblies, talks and performances… There’ll be lots of ways to get involved, try a new twist on a tradition and have your say. The fate of Britain is in your hands.”
🗓️ See here
Courses and jobs
Key: 🎓 Course | 💼 Job
Course – Narrative Work
Sogi Campaigns
One of six accessible courses on offer, providing a quick way in for people new to narrative work. “Campaigning is fun, but it also requires many sharp skills. From finding the right message that will move your targets, to telling the right stories and reaching new audiences, dive into our free online courses and increase your talent!”
🎓 See here
Jobs: Network Lead – Global Narrative Hive
Funders Initiative for Civil Society | Deadline March 12th
“The Global Narrative Hive is a new network working to connect and grow the global ecosystem of activists and campaigners, communications workers, researchers, artists, journalists and many others using narratives to advance their visions of a more just world… The Network Lead is a new leadership role intended to consolidate and grow the reach of the Global Narrative Hive, working with a small, international staff team… We are seeking a collaborative and values-driven Network Lead to hold overall responsibility for the Global Narrative Hive, its strategy, funding, programming and operations.”
💼 See here
Jobs: Narrative Accompaniment Strategist; Grantmaking Strategist
Nebula Fund
“The Narrative and Accompaniment Strategist will foster a learning
community for grantees and manage a funding stream to support the development and expansion of narrative technical assistance providers rooted in the Global Majority.”
💼 See here
“The Grantmaking Strategist is responsible for developing and
sustaining grantmaking portfolios that aim to build narrative power for gender justice movements.”
💼 See here
Quotes
(This selection of quotes is intended as a resource, in the hope that they may be useful for your own communications.)
"Hope is too fragile a word for our times, because these are times when we might have to act when there is no hope." – Ece Temelkuran
“Facing the magnitude of the task of enabling a world without separability (between us and the land, and each other) requires more than a change of narratives, convictions, or identities. It also requires more than a mere intention to change. It requires an interruption of harmful desires hidden behind promises of entitlements and securities that people hold onto, particularly when they are desperate or afraid.” – Vanessa Andreotti
"You can't put something back together unless you really look and see how you took it apart." – Stan Rushworth
“The future enters into us, in order to transform itself in us, long before it happens.” – Rainier Maria Rilke
"If the goal was to increase the Love, rather than winning or dominating a constant opponent, I think we could actually imagine liberation from constant oppression." – Adrienne Marie Brown
Thanks for joining us, see you here again in two weeks.
A reminder that if you have something that you’d love to see in these newsletters, or work you’d like to share in the community sessions, or if you have any feedback, please reach out at inter-narratives@greenfunders.org
Very best,
Paddy & Ella