We are excited to announce a new partnership with the Fetzer Institute, a Michigan foundation that “uses its philanthropic resources to help build the spiritual foundation for a loving world.” We will be working with several communities on collaborative, place-based efforts to shift the public dialogue from fear and despair to hope and possibility. A 2019 class of 12 Restorative Narrative Fellows will take part in a training at Fetzer’s retreat space, learning how to tell the deeper stories of people and communities, engaging voices that typically remain unheard and inspiring us to imagine and create a better world.
As part of the partnership, we will explore how dedicated resources, a local cohort of Fellows, and narratives applied to multiple platforms, can engage community members in storytelling and reporting, help build trust, transform perspectives and activate social change.
In announcing the grant, Gillian Gonda, Fetzer’s Program Director for Engagement remarked:
“This work with ivoh will help us learn how reflective practices support journalists, how restorative narratives emerge from individuals and communities, and how varied audiences engage with these stories of hope and resiliency. Media and journalism are ripe for transformation as we work—with fellow travelers like ivoh—toward a more loving world for all.”