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News & Updates
Voice of Our Readers
October 2, 2013
Stories Help Us Remember that We are Human
Thank you to all who are responding to the question we, along with the International Storytelling Center, are asking at their upcoming festival, October 4-6, 2013, in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Early responses are already coming in for our question:
How might the art and power of storytelling contribute to global peace and collaboration in a troubled world?
When we tell stories we remember that we are human, when we listen to stories we remember that other people are human. Even when stories are about our differences, our uniqueness, they still remind us of what we all share in common. Stories are about love and anger, fear and courage, grief and healing, mischief and kindness. Sharing stories from our lives and from our cultures has the power to mend our broken relationships – with each other and with our world. Stories call us back to ourselves, back to each other – they remind us of what is really important and what doesn’t matter at all.
Rachel Rafferty
PhD Student, Peace and Conflict Studies
University of Otago, New Zealand
September 29, 2013
Storytelling Artists Stimulate Our Imaginations
Thank you to all who are responding to the question we, along with the International Storytelling Center, are asking at their upcoming festival, October 4-6, 2013, in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Early responses are already coming in for our question:
How might the art and power of storytelling contribute to global peace and collaboration in a troubled world?
“The performing Storytelling artist, by stimulating the imagination of the listener through their story in a collaborative manner, establishes a common ground which is the basis of community.”
Submitted by Leon Overbay, “The Boones Creek Bard” and founding member of The Jonesborough Storytellers Guild, and charter member of the Barter Storytellers.
September 25, 2013
Learning to Listen Through Storytelling
Thank you to all who are responding to the question we, along with the International Storytelling Center, are asking at their upcoming festival, October 4-6, 2013, in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Early responses are already coming in for our question:
How might the art and power of storytelling contribute to global peace and collaboration in a troubled world?
From Liz Weir, Northern Ireland 09/25/13
“In my work in Northern Ireland over the past years of violence and in this post-conflict situation, I have worked with storytelling to help people learn to listen to each other. Through listening comes understanding.”
September 25, 2013
Soulful Warriors
Thank you to all who are responding to the question we, along with the International Storytelling Center, are asking at their upcoming festival, October 4-6, 2013, in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Early responses are already coming in for our question:
How might the art and power of storytelling contribute to global peace and collaboration in a troubled world?
From Sai Santosh 09/25/13
We are a group of youngsters here in Alabama and Georgia (USA) creating a comic strip called ‘Soulful Warriors’ which focuses on human values. “It’s difficult to judge/criticize people but very easy to love them.” We believe the answer to every conflict lies in LOVE. I thought that this idea of creating comic strips that focus on human values can inspire artists/illustrators around the world to create similar content, instead of the same old violent comic books. We thought that sharing this comic strip at the International Storytelling Festival would bring awareness to creative ways of storytelling. (Click each image to view full size.)
August 24, 2013
Youth Peace and an End to Bullying
I am a teacher at Garlandale High School in Athlone, Cape Town. Our students have asked me in a very hopeful and united voice to extend an invitation to you to come and join us next month, September 2013, to celebrate our school’s 30th anniversary. They are hoping with all their hearts that you will come to Garlandale and pray with us for Youth Peace and to help us end the continual bullying that goes on during recess. In its heyday, Garlandale High was well known as a vibrant school that shared academic and artistic excellence with the community. Sadly, our school has lost that vibrancy and really needs your help to get it back.
I joined the school in January of this year and would like to encourage all other newcomers to the school to embrace the former culture of learning and living life the Garlandale way with an emphasis on a vibrant academic and artistic curriculum again. Students who are in my First Additional Afrikaans classes, grades 8 through 10, are aspiring and interesting young people eager to learn in a vibrant, exciting atmosphere.
Please bring your loving, peaceful nature to our school this Term and comfort us if only for just one day. Come and inspire our young learners so they can help to make sure Garlandale High School can live for another thirty years with restored vibrancy and excellence. Our students are avid listeners to your voice and teachings of goodwill and were just recently openly discussing how much a prayer can do for the 2013 matriculants before the start of their exams.
As teachers we would love to raise funds to maintain our Private Security Staff at school. Raising this R10, 000 every month has become such a battle that we had to let the security go. The lives of our learners and safety within the school grounds depend on the Security being active and visible throughout the school day.
Thank you so much for considering our invitation. We would be honored to welcome you.