The Power of Storytelling
“My story, told honestly and matter-of-factly, is the best weapon I have against terrorism.”
At the conclusion of her book, The Last Girl, the Nobel Peace Prize winner, Nadia Murad, made this observation. For over ten years, she has been fighting tirelessly for her Yazidi community, after they suffered genocide and sexual violence during the ISIS occupation of Iraq.
I had the pleasure of working with Nadia as her Director of Communications, whilst she fought to bring the terrorists to justice and advocated for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. We told the story of her people over and over, through speeches, social media, interviews, and op-eds. Every time I watched her deliver her simple message with elegance and honesty, I noticed the audience's reaction. No matter where she spoke in the world, the audience always connected with her. They were always moved, and they always promised to help her.
That promise didn’t always translate into action. However, there was some change; the UK officially recognised the 2014 massacre as genocide, funds were raised to help rebuild the Yazidi homeland of Sinjar, and an increasing number of countries signed up to the ‘Murad Code’, a guide for investigators interviewing survivors of wartime rape. Ten years after the genocide, the Yazidi people hadn’t been forgotten. Thanks to Nadia’s powerful storytelling.
I’ve recently started working with another organisation. Their mission is extraordinary, and they innately understand the importance of connecting with their audience through storytelling. Like many not-for-profits, they have a wealth of stories, but are also busy getting on with the job of changing lives.
Which got me thinking about all the unspoken stories, and how powerfully these tales could change the world if they were told.