Videos
How it Worked
Posted by Dove Pressnall · September 25, 2012 7:31 PM
Andrea Meller
Posted by Dove Pressnall · September 25, 2012 5:40 PM
Jere Witherspoon
Posted by Dove Pressnall · September 25, 2012 10:47 AM
How We Work
But what does this look like?
Since every Survivors’ Truths project is developed with our collaborating partners and participants, no two projects are exactly alike. However, all of our projects:
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Build on existing resources - we will often come in to an existing program, like a support group, where participants are already comfortable with sharing their experiences.
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Bring in practices and technology that have been useful elsewhere to support, but not replace traditional or more familiar approaches.
- Center and promote principles of Ethical Storytelling and Narrative Practice.
We work with each of our partners to find the format for our collaboration that will best fit with their existing programs and maximize their resources. Our partnerships vary from ongoing collaborations that can span years, one-time workshops or short-term series, acting as a consultant to develop resources, training staff, and collaboratively designing strategic media initiatives that can be launched locally.
Where are we?
While our offices are located in Los Angeles, California, we don't think of ourselves as limited to a certain geographic area. Operating in the digital age affords opportunities to collaborate and support work that is going on anywhere in the world.
If you are a group interested in how strength-focused storytelling, grassroots engagement, and social media advocacy can amplify your impact, let us know. We'd love to work with you.
What We Do
For a number of years, Survivors’ Truths worked directly with groups of people affected by violence or discrimination who are generally either not seen or seen in a negative light. These projects were geared toward bringing out the parts of each person’s story that include their knowledge, courage, and other resources that have kept them going. The process of telling their own stories of resilience using various creative media was a powerful tool for individual healing and moving forward. However, we realized that doing things this way really limited our impact while sometimes inadvertently undermining the work of others.
Today, Survivors’ Truths seeks out and builds relationships with a variety of groups and organizations already working on social justice issues. This brings opportunities to share our culturally-grounded and strength-centered approach in collaborative ways. We work with social service agencies, grassroots groups, and other organizations serving our project participants because they already know the population and can support participants more holistically. Our partnership approach adds value and brings visibility to the amazing work of our partners and builds their capacity to continue to work in this way.
We have aligned our work with this mission to support those already doing the work on the ground by assisting with:
Collaborative Project Evaluation and Design
We work alongside our partners to consider how their work can be strengthened and have more impact.
Piloting Innovative Ideas
We pilot collaboratively developed workshops and programs to assess their effectiveness, hone their design, and prepare for scale-up by on-the-ground experts.
Training and Technical Support
We prepare trainings that are customized for and responsive to the needs and goals of our partner organizations.
Ongoing Partnership
If desired by the partner organization, we will form an ongoing collaborative partnership that can include fiscal sponsorship to support our partner's ability to secure funding for their work, promote personnel well being, carry out ongoing staff development, and/or implement meaningful evaluation and feedback practices.