![]() We seek durable change in the deepest currents possible: values and worldview.Over time, sharing and training with Waves revealed insights and begged important questions of the model: Waves is an accessible training tool that allows participants to both articulate their desired narratives and identify dominant ones. Values and worldview shape our relationship to sharks: Humans and nature are in continual battle we’re defenseless against nature we fear the unknown. We use them to understand history and current events while informing identity, community and belonging. Worldviews are embedded and pervasive in culture. They pose an imminent and constant threat.įurther below the surface we find values and worldviews. Here’s a familiar shark narrative: Sharks are vicious, man-eating predators that frequently attack and kill human beings. Narratives infuse stories with deeper meaning. Narratives are a collection of stories refined over time. A national alarm is raised and forces are sent to hunt the beasts. As widespread fear and panic grips the nation, President Woodrow Wilson calls an emergency cabinet meeting. Here’s a story about sharks: Five swimmers were attacked by sharks along the East Coast of the United States in July, 1916. Stories bring narratives to life by making them relatable, accessible and even personal. Stories share that something happens to someone or something. We landed on sharks after some research and collaboration with ReFrame. We needed an example that broke down the waves images while being accessible to different political and cultural contexts. Several years ago we took this model and translated it into trainings to support social justice leaders in the U.K., South Africa and beyond. White supremacy drives racist narratives drives dog whistle tweets. And the deeper the currents, the more powerful and enduring they can be, functioning like worldviews and ideology. This is, of course, how dog whistles function: tapping deeper meaning just as waves are generated through currents. Their power is sourced from below, just as the tweets draw from less visible narratives to deliver meaning. Trump’s tweets, both constant and unpredictable, keep us disoriented on the ocean’s surface.īut waves are generated by currents beneath the surface. Swells emerge from seemingly nowhere we are tossed and turned by the churn of waves. Imagine floating in the middle of a vast, stormy ocean. We asked, how do we make sense of this dynamic? How do we become less reactive? We witnessed how Trump’s social media activity kept advocates in dismay and too often, in disarray. Narrative Initiative was established in early 2017 on the heels of a presidential election. The model borrows from the work of Grassroots Policy Project, Perception Institute and others working at the intersection of advocacy, strategic communications, and the operation of ideology. Waves is a simple illustration that begins to unpack the complex relationship between values, narratives and stories.
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