Let's ensure we don't go back to 'business-as-usual'!

Post-Covid, the focus of the government seems to be on returning to business-as-usual (BAU) and they seem to think this is the only way forward. We think there are other possibilities that deserve consideration and believe that people’s innate humanity, which has been so evident in the mutual care expressed during the lockdown, needs to be reflected in whatever comes next. With the weight of the mainstream media behind the government however, these alternative stories and ideas aren’t always receiving airtime.

We at Alter Narratives would therefore like to:

1. Support consideration and discussion of what the alternatives could be, and 

2. Enable ordinary people to voice and input these alternative narratives into the mainstream media.

So, rather than standing alone as you shout at the radio feeling frustrated at the futility of it all, we invite you to stand with us as we retell the story of what could come next. Through collaborative and creative action we seek to become impossible to ignore. If you are already doing this on your own or as part of a group, we offer to join our voices to yours. The more amplifiers we use, the louder we become! 

By sharing our experience, skills, knowledge and ideas, we hope to gain a clearer vision of a more hopeful path ahead and fortify our narratives to support the alternatives we offer. By drawing on the incredible innovations already happening worldwide, we aim to offer concrete examples of possible directions to move in. We have already collated some of these stories and would love to gather more.

So, where can our voices be heard?

Our initial idea is to use the feedback avenues provided by the mainstream media outlets to illuminate the possibilities for a better world that they often overlook.

Alert process

If you encounter an item on a media outlet where an alternative narrative isn’t being presented and should be: 

• Simply flag it on our WhatsApp group so that others can respond/input if they’re able and want to

• Respond or input to the outlet yourself (using the contact information we provide) - this can be by using any method - phone call, text, email, tweet, message etc

• Record the item and your response/input on our shared spreadsheet so that it’s visible to others. 

If you’re responding to someone else’s flag, submit your response/input and indicate on the spreadsheet so we can see how many inputs have been made to that item.

By coordinating and making our voices more audible to one another, we’ll be more effective in getting our voices heard and feel more empowered.  Join us to start building our collective voice!