Joanna Wheeler

Blogger, Change Agent, Connector, Educator/Teacher, Filmmaker

I have lived in 4 continents, and traveled profusely. Along the way, I have learned how to help people committed to change in many different places tell their stories, and I’m constantly inspired by their courage: I’ve made films with young people in the favelas (slums) of Rio, with survivors of violence from townships in Cape Town, and with activists for democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I’ve negotiated with armed militia members in Rio to let participatory research go ahead. My work tries to connect the very grassroots to people making decisions: in the last couple years, I’ve testified to the UK Parliament, and the UN High Level Panel on development. I’ve also led global networks of researchers and activists working on democracy, citizenship and participation. Last year, I directed an initiative that drew together the stories, images and voices of people living in marginalization into a traveling exhibition about the kind of development that they want, where they speak for themselves. Somewhere in the midst of this, I went to Georgetown University to study foreign service, UMass Amherst to study politics and the Institute of Development Studies in the UK to study development. I blog about transformative storytelling, activism against violence and why the world needs to listen more to the people on the margins.

The depth of people’s creativity and courage even when they face huge difficulties, the power of stories, the importance of good facilitation, being a mother

Storytelling can help people to act against violence at a personal level, and when they do, they can help other people stop violence. I work with stories—and help people to tell them in different ways—using their own creativity, and their own lives as the focus. By encouraging true listening, people can tell stories that matter and use technology to amplify what they say. In a world saturated with information, true stories can make real connections. From community leaders in Rio’s favelas, to local activists in South Africa’s townships, to young people in cities of Mozambique, stories are part of how I help people make change happen.

Cities, Citizenship and Participation, Creative Technology, faciliation, Gender, Participatory Action Research, participatory video, policy advocacy, transformative storytelling, violence

Standing on the back of a moving horse