Narrative strategy & social change

On April 26, 2013, story-based strategists and leaders in the philanthropy community gathered at the New York Foundation for Stories from the Field and conversation about the intersection of narrative and social change. Below find videos of the complete presentations by Patrick Reinsborough of Center for Story-based Strategy, James Haslam of Vermont Workers' Center, Lenina Nadal of Right to the City Alliance, and Parin Shah of Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

WHAT IS STORY-BASED STRATEGY?

http://storybasedstrategy.org CSS co-director Patrick Reinsborough shares examples from the organizations 10 years of training, partnerships, and convening, including a sample of how narrative helps CA Calls change tax policy. He describes why this methodology was developed, to break through the glass ceiling organizers hit when the opposition narrative is winning.

Patrick Reinsborough, Co-director, describes the methodology and how Center for Story-based Strategy (CSS) acts as a movement support organization.

IS STORY-BASED STRATEGY MAKING LONG-TERM IMPACT?

Lenina Nadal of Right to the City describes the difference it's made to have embedded leadership development and strategic communications support. From bringing a racial justice lens to the occupy moment, to creating a meme which generated over 930 global press hits at the Bank of America shareholders meeting and shifting the housing crisis to a conversation about abundance, CSS and RTTC plan for continued partnership.

http://storybasedstrategy.org Lenina Nadal of Right to the City Alliance: Highlights from work since 2011, including training, embedded support to bring racial justice into the occupy narrative, the Bank VS America meme and action which yielded international media attention including 930 press hits ... Why do we need to invest in narrative?

DOES FRAMING REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

James Haslam of the Vermont Workers' Center reflects on how framing work with CSS Co-director Doyle Canning set the stage for a universal healthcare win in VT. With a human rights frame, universal really means everyone.

http://www.storybasedstrategy.org CSS workshops helped Vermont Workers' Center choose a human rights frame that they used throughout their victorious healthcare campaign. Not only did the frame help them build their base, it helped them know they didn't need to compromise when legislators tried to make drastic cuts and redefine what "universal" meant.

HOW CAN OUR MOVEMENTS DEVELOP SHARED NARRATIVE WITHOUT WATERING DOWN OUR ORGANIZATION'S MESSAGE?

Parin Shah of Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) charts the pivot to a propositional frame, which is a new and exciting moment for APEN. He describes the importance of alignment within the sector, and the role CSS has played in the climate and environmental justice movements.

http://storybasedstrategy.org Parin Shah of Asian Pacific Environmental Network: "With the help of the Center for Story-based strategy we found that if we are able to strategically link our communication and organizing, and root it in values that we all share, than we can build a common narrative that worked for our organization and works for the folks we're trying to move.

DO YOU HAVE A FUN ANIMATION THAT WILL HELP ME EXPLAIN WHAT CSS DOES?

We do! 30 seconds: highly effective at producing large smiles, and making people thirsty for more story-based strategy.

http://www.storybasedstrategy.org/at2013 Story-based strategy provides a participatory framework for social change alliances to integrate messaging and movement building. Our methodology builds long-term social movement leadership to capture the public imagination and frame the debate. The Center for Story-based strategy (formerly smartMeme) has a decade of success training leaders to change the story in the news media, the halls of power, in social networks, and in everyday people-to-people conversations.