Arthur Brooks and the Power of Stories
Written by Megan Carson
Melissa Dalton-Bradford, co-founder of Their Story Is Our Story, had the opportunity while traveling through Utah last week to attend a reception and a lecture with Arthur Brooks, a prolific writer, remarkable public speaker, president of American Enterprise Institute, and a leading voice for caring for the vulnerable and needy.
It is a gift to connect with people like Arthur Brooks, to learn from the research and work that he is doing, and to share with him the important story-telling work we are doing.
Mr. Brooks recently shared a powerful and fascinating podcast on the power of stories. As you listen to this podcast, you'll understand the reason for why this group of unpaid volunteers dedicates so many hours to trying to make these refugees' stories heard.
The work of storytelling is the key to this crisis. Stories, told with the right balance, simply and truthfully, will change hearts. That is exactly what we aim to do.
Do yourself a favor and listen to Arthur Brooks' podcast "Tell Me a Story."
Summary: "The smartest person in the room doesn’t always win the debate — the best storyteller does. This episode explores the power of storytelling and how we can use stories to more effectively persuade, inspire, and unify others. We hear from sociologist Kathy Edin, neuroeconomist Paul Zak and Grant Gordon of the International Rescue Committee."
Why consent matters to us (and why it should matter to you too).
It is especially important to provide accurate information as to how a photo will be used and obtain consent when working with refugees.
Stories are Changemakers: An Instagram Live with Sarah Kippen Wood
Sarah Kippen Wood, Former Executive Director of Their Story is Our Story (TSOS), shares how stories connect and lead to change in an interview with Darien Laird, our Director of External Media. Sarah gives us an inside look at how TSOS functions and shares how telling her story helped her fight a stage four cancer diagnosis.
Uniting for Ukraine: U.S. Sponsors Needed
Just as citizens in Europe and the U.K. have heroically supported displaced Ukrainians by opening up their homes or securing other housing, assisting with school enrollments, employment needs, and language learning, Americans now have the opportunity via the Welcome.us Sponsor Circles program to directly help newly arrived Ukrainians. The United States has committed to welcoming 100,000 Ukrainians temporarily for a period of two-years and the ability to apply for employment authorization in the U.S. as long as they have a U.S.-based sponsor to petition for them.