Ethical Storytelling Workshop for Organisations in Northern Thailand
Local organisations in Chiang Mai train how to dispell stereotypes in storytelling, and new UN guidelines are available to protect children from sexual exploitation.
Two years ago, The Ethical Storytelling Initiative was launched by the Freedom Story to provide the conversations and resources around storytelling in the social impact space. Recently, the initiative held a training for local organizations in Chiang Mai, Thailand to develop their practice of telling stories ethically and empowering of their beneficiaries.
Sponsored by Diakonia, 45 partners joined for the two-day workshop, which also included training on the making of short films from renowned Thai film director Nonzee Nimibutr.
The workshop focused on how to tell stories ethically, including examples and lessons learned from The Freedom Story's work. A broad range of steps towards ethical storytelling were explained, including how to select an interviewee, interview sensitively giving control of the narrative to the interviewee, and how to ensure ‘deep consent’. The group discussed how the language and way that a story is portrayed matters, the importance of dispelling stereotypes and engaging the interviewee in telling their own story in a meaningful way.
Mr. Nonzee Nimibutr then shared his experiences in making films in Thailand - how to prepare for a film, frame it and engage different themes.
Proposed stories from the group were then selected to be made into short films. The participants developed storyboards, techniques, and shot lists to create five short films. All of the participating 14 community-based organizations work on human rights issues and statelessness across Northern Thailand.
The Ethical Storytelling Initiative is a guiding resource for non-profit practitioners and welcomes contributions and voices of all who are interested to help co-curate the movement. If you are interested in a similar training or workshop for your organization, please reach out.
Here’s a recap of other noteworthy updates and news:
The final report of the Liechtenstein Initiative for a Financial Sector Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Unlocking Potential: A Blueprint for Mobilizing Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking, was released during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week. The Blueprint sets out a framework for important actions that different financial sector actors can take, including investors.
The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child published new guidelines aimed to better apply the Convention's Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography and effectively protect children from sexual exploitation. To complement the guidelines and give more detailed information and concrete examples on how to implement certain provisions, an Explanatory Report was developed by a working group led by ECPAT International.
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