Change starts with a story. Whether it’s the stories we are told, or the stories we tell ourselves - narratives shape the way we see and show up in the world.
They also shape the way the world evolves and adapts, for better or worse. The most effective leaders across history have shared the ability to craft a story that sparks something in their audiences - be it outrage, inspiration or unity.
Now more than ever, storytelling is essential for change makers.
Last week, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change synthesis report was released, explaining that without immediate action to stop the use of fossil fuels, we will exceed a 1.5°C warming benchmark, leading to catastrophic climate disaster. We need urgent action to have a chance of meeting the critical environmental challenges of the moment.
Despite this bleak, heartbreaking and infuriating fact, the report also states, “There are multiple, feasible and effective options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to human-caused climate change, and they are available now”.
We just need to use them. More importantly, we need urgent global action from decision makers across industry and international politics.
Urgent action requires unity, and unity comes from potent, meaningful narratives that shift collective thinking and behaviour. We all have a role to play in the transition.
We know how important it is to equip our community with the tools to make cataclysmic change. So we’ve gathered some of Australia’s most effective leaders and storytellers across the environmental advocacy, climate change and social impact space to share their wisdom and practical tools through Storytelling for Change so we can take collective action.
While we don’t all have political decision making power, we do all have a voice that can shift in behaviour, policy and thinking within our communities, workplaces, teams and industries. Let’s learn how to use it as effectively as possible.
The time to act is now, and it’s on all of us.
Learning from the leaders
Claire O’Rourke
Claire O’Rourke is a storyteller, campaigner and leader. Her work across social justice, climate advocacy, and climate grief is changing the way we think about active hope for systemic change. It’s easy to become frozen in grief and overwhelm with news as consequencial as the IPPC report.
Claire teaches that, through powerful storytelling, we can tackle the climate grief that so often stands in the way of action. Her recently released book ‘Together We Can’ threads together hopeful stories of action to show us there is still a way, and that through active hope we can collectively create immense impact for our planet.
We highly recommend exploring some of Clare’s work below:
Listen:
- Better Than Yesterday with Osher Günsberg
- Interview with The Story Au
- Futuresteading
Read:
- The Sydney Morning Herald: The case for optimism
- The Story AU: Stories of hope can save us from a climate disaster
Damon Gameau
Change requires a vision, a fact and tactic Damon Gameau knows well. His powerful documentaries 2040 (2019) and Regenerating Australia (2022) take audiences on a hopeful journey, meeting innovators and changemakers who see a positive vision of what our future ‘could be’ and draws on their new approaches and solution to provide a vision for the future of areas such as economics, technology, civil society, agriculture, education and sustainability.
They have brought together communities around Australia, instigated incredible regeneration projects and elevated climate solutions into the national conversation. As a storyteller and leader Damon understands how to talk to audiences and stakeholders in ways that connect and activate, a skill we can all learn.
Read his article ‘What does it mean to regenerate’ and watch his Ted talk to get a taste of his work and leadership.
Daniel Flynn - Thankyou co-Founder
You’ll most likely be familiar with Thankyou products. What you might not be familiar with is the leadership and learning journey that Daniel Flynn and his team and Thankyou have experienced since launching one of Australia’s most successful start-ups.
They’ve had high-highs, and some hard lows - learning how they too have contributed to the broken systems they’ve tried to solve through purposeful business.
Their impact is immense, and throughout it all storytelling has been one of their most potent tools. They’ve mobilised hundreds of thousands of consumers across social media to reach and influence some of the most powerful corporations in the world.
Daniels storytelling is powerful not just because it inspires change - to date Thankyou has given over $17 million to impactful change-makers - but because he embodies the essence of leadership in his ability and willingness to share Thankyou’s learnings in a way many businesses would never dare.
It’s this type of storytelling and leadership we need if we want more leaders to take accountability, and adapt the way they work for a better world.
Maya Newell & the Unquiet Collective
Maya Newell is the master of weaving wisdom with action. Two of her incredible films, Gayby Baby and In My Blood It Runs are great examples of using story to mobilise action, as she expertly deployed film to catalyse social movements.
In My Blood It Runs (2019) about ten-year-old Arrernte/Garrwa boy Dujuan and his community, was made in collaboration with those onscreen.
The families involved led a multi-year impact campaign targeting juvenile justice, education and anti-racism, with the protagonist Dujuan addressing the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, attracting international attention to the fight to raise the criminal age in Australia.
Read More:
How Systems Marginalise by Maya Newall - Dumbo Feather
‘It was horrible’: Filmmaker Maya Newell on beating the backlash - Sydney Morning Herald
Join Storytelling For Change and learn how to use your voice for climate impact
