Narrative Archive

“If our very symbols of perseverance and adaptability, from seed vaults, to desert succulents to jungle vines are faltering, we’re going to have to rethink our benchmarks…our metaphors, those canaries we placed so carefully in their cages to let us know when trouble was brewing, are keeling over. It might be time to carefully start packing up our things, and head for higher ground.”

“We pull back the curtain on how reframing, message testing and implementation of new narratives gets done. And we hear how this work done for and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communicators is changing how Australians perceive these communities and with it enabling long overdue recognition not merely of rights but of the leadership of First Nations on protecting our environment.”

In case you’re worried that our existing political infrastructure is inadequate, “this 3-stage guide will accompany you through the different steps of designing, running, and acting on the results of a Citizens’ Assembly. It draws on and points to a curated selection of the best available resources. From deciding how to choose and define an issue, to setting the budget, timeline, and which people to involve, this guide aims to make it a simple and clear process.“

“Whether you are a spokesperson preparing for an interview, a campaigner writing copy or an organiser prepping for the doorstep, you need to think about how your message will be received by the people you want to reach. This Handbook offers guidance on how to write impactful messages, including broad principles, specific examples and full narratives to use.” (Thanks for sharing Funmibi Ogunlesi)

“The distinct belonging framework developed by the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI) includes a set of principles and practices that can root out structural inequality and exclusion of all kinds while helping us turn toward, rather than against, each other…If you’re ready to create a more just, impactful, and joyous school, workplace, or society, then join us on this journey of becoming a belonging-builder.” Brings to mind the Jemez Principles For Democratic Organising.

“How Elite Overproduction drives culture wars, and how to move beyond it.” Analysis encouraging us to reflect on what it really takes to achieve “deep systemic change”, at a time the ‘vibe’ is shifting, and the gap between elite “power-holders” and everyone else is widening. “What has happened with social justice ideology is that it has gone through a process of ‘abstractive sublimation’, in which practical concerns by minority groups, which may be dangerous to the status quo, are sublimated into a realm of abstraction that allows elites to reframe and ultimately ignore its calls for a redistribution of power.”

“On the surface, Barbie might appear to be a film championing equality and social justice, packed to the rafters with satire and stirring monologues, but dig a little deeper and you discover a film reinforcing the very values and worldviews underpinning consumer culture and capitalism.”

“Moving beyond divisive debates about diagnosis involves acknowledging the extent to which diagnosis is shaped by systems of power. Diagnosis isn’t an adjective (something we are) or a noun (something we have), it is a verb – an active process that is always moving, always serving an end. It can be wielded by the state in ways that are extremely harmful, but we can also break it apart and use it in ways that are liberating for us.”

The author of Sacred Instructions discusses the increasing acceptance of indigenous wisdom by modern science, the essential role of the sacred feminine, the 80-10-10 rule for distributing our energy across transformation efforts, and shares prophecies and stories to encourage reflection and action.

A discussion about “relational dynamics, metaphor theory, knowledge creation, governance, meaning and obfuscation” along with “other forms of signification and communication being explored in the systems community, and how we can participate with language to deframe the world as we see it and reveal its true complexities.”

“When today's stories of crushing greed and endless growth have come to an end, what, then, will be the new stories?…a documentary film portraying five remarkable stories of people and places transforming the world. Narrated by Penobscot elder, Sherri Mitchell (Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset), we are introduced to the Penobscot mythology of the cannibal giant: a creature awakened by the destruction of mother earth. The film is told through the lens of this powerful prophecy: only if people can awaken to their own destruction, and the need for change, will the cannibal giant be put back to sleep.”

“Young feminist movements are pushing back against autocracy. They’re not toeing the line anymore. Young feminist movements are holding the line. This year’s State of the Youth Civil Society report developed under the theme, Young. Feminist. Fearless: Holding the Line, focuses on feminist movements and their critical role in making the world more equitable, safe and accessible for everyone.”