Personal Narratives Describing Verde Valley Land Use Issues
What are Personal Narratives -- Digital Stories
Storytelling has been in existence as long as humankind. Stories are like a society's glue, primary tools of transmitting the culture of present and past generations to future generations. People share a profound need to tell and hear stories. They are used to entertain, and to educate people in history, morals, ethics, and values. Through storytelling, people share experiences, promote understanding, build consciousness and create community.
When people feel strongly about a topic, they wish to share their ideas. What a profound way to share would be a collection of stories describing perspectives about the land. In writing "expressions of the land," we collect stories of community members', developers', and administrators' deepest feelings about land and water use. Regional planners would acquire an inside view of locals' perceptions and their origins. The data (in the form of life narratives) compiled from this and future workshops, might be used to analyze local opinion, as well as to disseminate information to organizations and municipalities. The stories will be compiled on DVD for future study and distribution, as well as displayed on this website.
What greater goal can there be, that of bringing people together, sharing their voice.
If You Want to Know More About Digital Storytelling
Center for Digital Storyelling
Third World Majority -- Silence Speaks
Channel G Mini Documentaries -- The Photography Channel
International Digital Storytelling Association
Hillary McLellan's Digital Storytelling Links