Activity: People Advocacy
In a world that’s becoming increasingly interconnected, understanding and practicing people advocacy is more crucial than ever. At the heart of effective advocacy is the ability to truly listen and comprehend the stories of those around us.
We all have unique stories, both of our own personal life and that of our ancestors. When we fully hear and understand each other’s stories, we know how to better advocate from a cultural and meaningful point of view.
The Goal
To develop the skills needed to advocate for others by first learning to understand their stories. This storytelling exercise is a valuable practice not only for people advocacy, but also empathy, interpersonal skills, decision making, and leadership.
Step 1:
Write how you would tell your story from the perspective of land, people, and values. You can write solely from your experiences growing up or draw on what you know of your ancestors.
Step 2:
Find a partner or someone you’d like to get to know better and share your story to them from these perspectives. Have them relate their story as well.
Step 3:
After you both share, reflect back to each other the following:
When I was listening to your story, the parts that stood out to me were …
Because of your story, you bring the following gifts/perspectives to the world…
Step 4:
Write a reflection on how knowing other’s stories can help you to better understand, support, and advocate for them in the future.
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