Narrative Archive

Organisations “tend to share vignettes and profiles, not stories,” but “telling compelling stories and telling stories about impact do not have to be in conflict.” If we craft stories with care, about changing systems collectively as part of an ecosystem, connecting to human experiences, “we avoid contributing to harmful narratives that make it impossible to change systems and cultural narratives.” “Organizations are important collaborators and accomplices in change work. Let’s let our stories show how it’s done.”

Following the recent win for Indigenous rights (and therefore all of us) in Brazil, V reflects on the need to “reforest politics and the mind”, and how “we need to bring an ethics of care and solidarity, beauty and poetry…honoring the generosity and wisdom of Indigenous women who protect our lives while risking their own.”

“A short series on UK political messaging, social media, and the Culture Wars…The first is about the recent past, and the power of segmentation. The second is about the present, and what happens when complaint gets weaponised. And the third is about what progressives can learn from fandoms.” Also see Sunder Katwala writing for Labour Together.

“Our intention for A New Era in Climate Communications is to facilitate a digital knowledge hub, a place to learn, inspire and support, a place to explore and to break down the communication barriers standing in the way of solving the climate crisis. Working together is not an option, it is an imperative. United, we can bring together the knowledge that bridges the gaps between data and emotion, information and action, and work with each other in new ways to shape the campaigns, messaging and stories that will help determine our future.”

“The UK public overwhelmingly back state intervention to improve the food system. Citizens see that food is at the crux of many of the issues facing us today. They want government to make sensible policy decisions that protect people and planet, and they want powerful food businesses to be more accountable…UK citizens across all demographic, age and political groups reject ‘nanny state’ concerns and want the government to do more to fix food.”

“A strategic communication guide to promote new trans narratives. In this document you will find a summary of several investigations that reveal the digital ecosystem and the perceptions of public opinion about LGTBI+ realities, a methodology to design and organize collective digital strategies and some learnings from a campaign we carried out last fall (Proyecto Hortensia).”

“How do we change the stories we tell ourselves and each other about ourselves and each other – and our place in the world – into stories of transformation, trust and togetherness?” A conversation inspired by Ruth’s earlier piece, To Unpathed Waters and Undreamed Shores, encouraging us to move beyond silos and imagine “bringing more awe to the world”.

“A draft framework that can be used to identify false solutions proposed in the context of the climate and nature emergency…originally created by the Federation of the Huni Kui Indigenous Peoples of Acre, in the Amazon, and collaboratively redesigned in the context of the Moving With Storms CNE Program of the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies, at the University of British Columbia…urging us to question the allure of quick fixes that fail to address the systemic root causes of the massive challenges we are facing as a species.”

“We need a comprehensive public engagement strategy, as called for by the Climate Change Committee and Chris Skidmore’s Net Zero Review.” This report “defines public engagement, makes four key asks, outlines the vital components for a public engagement strategy to succeed, and includes a number of case studies of successful campaigns delivered by UK councils.” Might also be worth mentioning the sewage.

“Responding to the climate crisis is a fundamental challenge for politics today. But how do UK politicians, charged with leading the way, navigate the issue?” A sober(ing) view of how politicians in the UK are viewing the complex dynamics of pursuing sufficient change, offering 7 conclusions for how to strengthen and support political action on climate change.

“The vast majority connecting climate and security right now are progressive voices, or those of a pro-climate persuasion. They do so because they think it expands the coalition of people concerned about climate change…(we have) some time to ‘inoculate’ public and elite debate if we wish to, and if we have the infrastructure to do it. We find the best narratives for doing this in Europe are focusing on the ‘Bad Guys’ who perpetuate…malign narratives.”

A collaboration with Drilled and Desmog, revealing the extensive reach and pernicious impact of reactionary think tanks. “They’ll throw something out into the public sphere, which will get a little bit of press, and then before you know it, a new law has been written, possibly by one of them. And now you have the criminalization of what was previously seen as legitimate civil protest.” Also see what PragerU have been up to.