“Until the lions have their historians, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter.” ~ South African Proverb
I believe storytelling is one of the most human experiences that we share. Through stories we connect to people, empathize with them, learn from them, and are challenged to grow and change.
While working in and studying international development, I’ve noticed some room for improvement in the way we tell these stories. The development community is starting to realize that we need change, that we can’t perpetuate poverty porn, keep using so much jargon, or continue making people in developing nations seem like victims. But we need to keep challenging each other to do better. We need to work to amplify the voices of those we’re partnering with, so that the tales of development don’t just glorify the donor or ignore the real actions that need to be taken.
I explain more of my hopes and visions for creating a platform for discussion, collaboration, and improvement in communications for development in this blog post here.
Storytelling for development is my passion, as well as part of my career. I have a Master’s degree in International Development and Humanitarian Emergencies from the London School of Economics. In true development person fashion, I’ve lived, worked, traveled, and studied all over the place. For now, I call Washington, DC home.
Let’s connect! I love meeting new people and talking about communications for development.
