I have a dilemma I would love to hear your reflections on... Our organisation has been investing in #abcd and as a result we know there are lots of stories of community led action. We know that stories are important in inspiring more action, and that stories also help build momentum for other communities. It doesn't feel right that community builders tell the story on behalf of the community. So... what experience have people had in supporting communities to share their own stories? Be great to hear your thoughts

https://www.facebook.com/events/406879159662320/?ti=iclHi, in Alton , Il there was a cultural fair /festival. I could use some advice on our newly formed association (under Construction). Thank You. Carlton

There are a growing number of resources on the internet for sharing stories and amplifying the voice of people whose stories might otherwise go unheard. The site ComDevasia http://www.comdevasia.org has lots of examples and ideas.

There are some websites that serve as very good platforms to collect stories. I have used PlaceStories http://placestories.com. It is worth looking at.

Thanks John and Carlton. Much appreciated. I'll take a look at those sites. I'm also interested in the work of the Knight Foundation in the US, as they have done a lot of work on promoting citizen journalism. In the UK I'm struck by how often stories of community led action don't get heard in part because many feel their story doesn't matter or main stream press aren't interested. What can residents do to get their voices and their stories better heard? 

We just recieved a grant for a story telling project we are calling "unsung heroes."  We are using a combination of audio recordings which we are collecting during our asset mapping process along with still photo's of the residents in phase one of the project.  Our goal is 30 interviews with long-time residents and we are sharing short 30-60 second snippets.  Then we are going to pick 6 "unsung heroes" and do a more involved interview that will end up being a professionally recorded oral history.  Then we are going to turn it all into a play and write a theme song that will be recorded in a local recording studio.  So, I can use your prayers and will be checking out all of the great resources named above.  We have never done anything like this and have no idea how it will turn out.  We did a tiny little pilot of just the audio/image videos (you can view them here: http://embracerichmond.org/wise-guides-listening-project/.   Oh yeah, forgot to mention, we are training youth in how to do the interviews and they are selecting the heroes.  So, lots of moving peices and parts but we are excited. 

Hey Wendy, great to hear from you. Thanks for sharing your plans. This sounds like an interesting project. It's great that young people are leading this, as I'm sure they will build local relationships, as well as discover new skills. Thanks for taking the time to reply. Rich

This is perfect. Story telling and case studies always helps people understand to a great extent. Theoretical knowledge is needed, but to understand the theory people want to see the implementation, how it is been using. Since last month, I was reading  the write ups related to ABCD approach, now I really want to know the stories of ABCD implementation to get better understanding.