Story for Change Competition
#StoryForChange
Have a social issue you’re passionate about?
We believe that solutions to the big challenges of today become possible when people, organisations and communities come together to learn, share and create empowering new stories together.
Enter this year’s Story for Change competition and you’ll get the chance to win a full 3-day pass to our 2016 Story Conference and the opportunity to work on a social issue that matters to you!
To enter, fill in the blanks to the following sentence in the comments section below, referring to a social issue you would like to do something about.
The social issue I’m passionate about is _____ because _____. My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to _____ .
Then go to twitter and tweet “Change the story of:” your social issue #storyforchange http://tinyurl.com/za7j59n
The winner will receive (valued at over $1000):
- A full pass to the 2016 Story Conference (Nov 23–25), along with 2 nights accommodation onsite, at Queen’s College
- Your choice of any pre-conference workshop
- A VIP seat at the conference dinner and story slam
- The opportunity to see your social issue pitched, worked on and progressed with a community of social entrepreneurs
The winner will be announced on Friday 11th November at 5pm.
October 4th, 2016 at 10:44 am
The social issue I’m passionate about is low literacy because up to 20% of the population does not have the literacy skills to engage in their community. My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to ensure they are simple ways to learn outside of a traditional classroom setting, using the creative inspiration of libraries and museums to positively impact on self esteem. everyone can learn if given the chance to use their brain the way it works for them.
October 7th, 2016 at 11:36 pm
The social issue I’m passionate about is the acceptance of all human beings within our society. The recent back clash from Pauline Hanson’s first in the Senate has created a lot of mis-conceptions amongst individuals and minority groups. I believe is one of greatest countries in the world with so many people from so many places in the world forming together to make Australia the Australia it is today.
Having from a refugee background myself, I have and I have always had this desire and help out in the community. I am also concerned about homelessness in this country.
And therefore my vision is to firstly make people aware of the fact that Australia was built on culture of multiculturalism and if we point and blame one particular minority group for certain things, then we are only going backwards and creating more problems.
secondly I would also work on the issue of Homelessness and try and provide them with shelters and places to be able to sleep and look after themselves.
October 9th, 2016 at 10:35 pm
The social issue I’m passionate about is music and the arts, because it is an important part of our society. My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to develop and App for indigenous music. Called “Boditja – music travelling far”, I propose a new community built on the sharing of Australian culture and talent.
With technology somewhat ruling the globalised world we live in, there is a distinct lack of appreciation and awareness of the pure talent and genius in Australia’s own back yard.
The indigenous and rural Australian culture, specifically music, not only represents the grounding of Australia’s ancestry, but also explores the underlying meaning of what it truly means to be one with our country.
When considering the remoteness of communities geographically within Australia, the challenge in relation to musical opportunities and promotion is significant. There needs to be a greater effort in discovering the talent of the future Australian Music Industry from indigenous/disadvantaged backgrounds and thus, the development of a digital platform to host, share, stream and promote start-up/unheard artists is an exciting innovation.
you can read more about it via this link. https://storify.com/Louu/bokitja-music-traveling-far
October 18th, 2016 at 10:58 pm
The social issue I’m passionate about is masculinity. Masculinity enforces gender stereotypes; feminises the expression of emotions and tells men that they are expected to be tough, sexually aggressive and competitive. It is no surprise that men are significantly less likely to report symptoms of mental health issues considering societies notions of masculinity coupled with the medias constant reinforcement of what it means to ‘be a man’.
Male suicide statistics in Australia and most of the western world are appalling; men are three times more likely to commit suicide than women. To put this into perspective, Australian men are twice as likely to die from suicide than a fatal car accident. Men are also twice as likely to suffer with substance abuse issues; behaviour that is known to trigger or increase symptoms of mental health problems.
Masculinity does not just affect men, it is a feminist issue as this stereotype enforces a notion of male superiority that underpins many issues women are facing today (such as gender based violence). If men aren’t given the chance to be themselves and not this socially constructed stereotype achieving gender equality is improbable.
My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to educate boys from a young age on the diverse ways they can ‘be a man’, to not limit them to traditional roles and stereotypes. Social and institutional change on this issue is no easy feat and will take some time as masculinity is such an ingrained expectation, but it is possible.
For an educational approach to be effective it would need to be executed holistically, encompassing curriculum, parenting styles and media representations.
Addressing the issue of masculinity will hugely benefit society as a whole by challenging patriarchal norms that oppress both men and women.
October 19th, 2016 at 10:03 pm
The social issue I’m passionate about is violence prevention, because the causes of violence can be addressed through educating young people from an early age, and their families, by working with whole school communities and the organisations and systems that support them. My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to complete my PhD thesis based on narratives of social change agency in the education system (including mine), and publish this as an accessible book which will inspire and inform other change agents. Check out my work on http://www.socialchangeagency.com.au
October 20th, 2016 at 12:53 am
The social issue I’m passionate about is currency, because it underlies all the issues caused by inequality in the world (being the means of control of productive assets). My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to create and share a complementary currency designed to empower all people, and support efforts to live sustainably within our environmental limits.
October 24th, 2016 at 4:27 am
The social issue I’m passionate about is the inclusion of people with mental health issues living in low and middle income countries, especially in India and Nepal because so often communities do not understand the experience of mental illness and remain ignorant about how to relate to people with mental illness. My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to understand more deeply the barriers to inclusion that people with mental illness face and also the enablers to inclusion that help them participate in community life! Through the sharing of story and creating space for this to occur, people’s experiences are heard and form a platform for communities to embrace diversity and find their own local and cultural solutions to inclusion!
October 25th, 2016 at 5:44 am
The social issue I’m passionate about is stopping violence against women and their children. Statistics show that a woman murdered every week by a current or former partner in Australia. Violence against women has been shown to be considerably lower in countries like Australia where women’s financial, social and political rights are better protected, and where power and resources are more equally distributed between men and women. But still, there are many men & even women out there that don’t believe in gender equality and that’s the main problem in this case as violence against women driven by gender inequality elements, like Men’s control of decision-making, limiting women’s freedom or constructions of masculinity/femininity.
My vision for a new chapter of this story would be promoting women’s independence and challenging gender stereotypes. This could start with online education settings in form of ads/documentaries for younger people or communities that tend to have higher rate in violence against women and children to creating a safe and respectful environment for women and their children.
November 9th, 2016 at 4:06 am
The social issue i am concerned about is the galloping unemployment figures . Each day i have men coming in into my office despeate for work , money routine , order and self respect . in particular the two vulnerable age groups – the young and the unskilled retrenched my vision is the creation of a mens den to pursue interestsand reskill where possible . i have 17 men eager to take part
November 11th, 2016 at 1:05 am
I am not sure if it is too late to offer a comment. All the Social Issues presented are most worthy and I applaud the passion with with all are committing to their issue and vision! It is inspiring and challenging to see people actively engaged in dreaming of and working towards a world that is healing, just and life affirming.
My top 3-
1. Roberta Styles-Wood – Literacy/education
2. Sepideh Zandieh – Gender equality/education
3. Juliet – Masculinity/education
November 11th, 2016 at 5:08 am
[…] Thanks to everyone who submitted into the #storyforchange competition. You can review all the entries here. […]
November 14th, 2016 at 10:42 pm
The social issue I’m passionate about is climate change and environmental sustainability because the future of our planet (as we know it) is at risk and dependent upon the perceptions, action and behaviours of its human inhabitants.
My vision for a new chapter of this story would be to change the rhetoric around climate change from one of catastrophe to one of empowerment, collective impact and hope. I believe the common rhetoric of disempowerment; that individual actions can not have impact thwarts wide-spread sustainable action and behaviours.
We need to educate, motivate and empower people to make change. For example promoting divestment and encouraging people to support alternatives to fossil fuel dependant ways. People have power through their right to choose suppliers.This will create viable financial markets for earth friendly alternatives and hopefully perpetuate a focus on alternative non economic forms of value by suppliers.
By helping people to dream of (and buy into) better futures people can be motivated to change their behaviour. Asking the question how could a post-carbon society look can cause us to reflect in new ways of living that have better environmental and social impact.
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