Public Narrative I: Story of Us - Who Are We and Why Are We Called to Respond?
A story of self tells people who you are and why you are called to do the work that you are doing. The goal is for them to “get you”, to connect with you. Since organizing is about building power with others for shared action, your public narrative also needs to tell a story of the values shared by those whom you hope to move to collective action. The test of a story of us is whether or not they “get” their connection with each other.
Description
Building on your Story of Self, this workshop teaches you how to craft a Story of Us that creates an experience of shared values and solidarity within your community. You'll learn to move beyond the "categorical us" (defining people by demographics or identity markers) to an "experiential us" by telling stories that bring alive the values that the community in the room share. Through writing and sharing your first draft of a Story of Us and receiving support from an experienced coach, you'll develop the skill of identifying and narrating the collective challenges your community has faced, the choices made together, and the outcomes achieved, often founding moments or moments of crisis, triumph, or resilience. The workshop teaches how to create stories rooted in the actual experience of "the people in the room" that make everyone begin to feel like part of an "us," building the foundation of community and solidarity necessary for collective action and the courage to face difficult challenges together.
See an example video: Susan C - Camp Obama (2007)
See the Democracy Teams Participant Manual, pages 91-102