Painting D Change by Rooted Rising Initiative

Rooted Rising Initiative hosted a webinar for storytellers, artists, creatives, and techies using their skills for social impact.

The webinar focused on “Painting the Change,” a project by Rooted Rising Initiative that aims to visually document environmental and social issues in the Niger Delta and Nigeria through art. Panelists, including Omoregie Osakpolor, Bilkisu Garba, Onyekachi Okoro, and Nina Mbaha, discussed the role of storytelling, technology, and upcycling in advocacy and community engagement. They shared insights on ethical storytelling practices, using technology to support advocacy, and turning waste into functional products. Participants explored challenges in documenting vulnerable communities and emphasized the importance of collaboration, continuous engagement, and creating platforms for communities to share their stories. The session concluded with a call for further engagement in the next phase of the project, “Painting the Change.”

The meeting began with Johndick Perfect introducing the Rooted Rising Initiative webinar, emphasizing its focus on empowering storytellers and advocates to leverage their creative tools for advocacy and policy change. She highlighted the “Painting the Change” project, which aims to visually document environmental degradation in the Niger Delta and Nigeria through art, collaboration with the University of Port Harcourt, and partnerships with the Young Environmentalist Network. Johndick explained that while the webinar is not a painting session, it seeks to inspire participants to use their creative skills for advocacy and healing.

Climate Storytelling in Lagos

Nina discussed her journey from experiencing environmental issues in Lagos to founding African Climate Stories, which uses storytelling to address climate change. She explained how her documentary on flooding in Lagos gained international attention at the United Nations Ocean Decade Summit.

Ethical Storytelling: Key Steps

Nina shared her experience on ethical storytelling, emphasizing three key steps: questioning assumptions early, getting consent where necessary, and co-creation. She explained that questioning assumptions involves testing initial ideas through prototypes before full implementation, while getting consent is crucial for ethical documentation and building trust with communities. Co-creation, she noted, enhances long-term impact by involving community members in the storytelling process.

Empowering Storytelling for Social Change

The panelists discussed the importance of storytelling in documenting environmental, political, and social issues. Bilkisu emphasized the significance of sharing the process and journey behind creative work, using the example of an artist who transforms scrap materials into masterpieces. Omoregie highlighted the need for genuine interest, listening to communities, educating participants about documentation, and filming with dignity. The panelists agreed that storytelling should focus on empowering communities and allowing them to speak for themselves, rather than imposing external perspectives.

Community Data Advocacy Tools

Onyekachi discussed how beginners can use simple technology and data tools to support advocacy in their communities. He emphasized the importance of understanding the community’s story through research and using technology to gather and analyze data holistically. Onyekachi also highlighted the need to make content accessible to communities with limited internet access and suggested using low-cost technology like air quality sensors to collect and present data in a way that can be used for awareness and sensitization.

VR for Community Education and Mobilization

Omoregie discussed strategies for using visual and immersive storytelling, particularly VR, to educate and mobilize communities. He emphasized the importance of sharing work with the community it was created for, engaging in dialogue, and partnering with NGOs and activists. Osakpolo also highlighted the need to create toolkits for others to use in spreading the message and making it easy for people to take action. He stressed that change is slow and continuous, requiring ongoing engagement with the community.

Upcycling and Community Data Use

Bilkisu explained the concept of upcycling, emphasizing its cultural relevance in Africa and its positive impact on livelihoods and the environment. She highlighted the importance of intentionality, material sourcing, repurposing skills, and market strategies for successful upcycling businesses. Onyekachi discussed the existing technological capacity in communities to collect and use data for action, using examples of environmental documentation and legal cases. He emphasized the importance of understanding and utilizing available tools, such as smartphones, and encouraged communities to build tools that fit their needs.

Storytelling for Community Impact

The meeting focused on storytelling and its impact on communities, with panelists discussing the importance of accountability and follow-up after sharing stories. Onyekachi emphasized the need to measure impact and suggested hosting film festivals in communities to engage policymakers. Highlighted the use of technology, such as GPS and air quality sensors, to collect data on environmental degradation. Omeregie discussed the challenges of storytelling in communities facing systemic issues, advising against the “savior complex” and focusing on education and collaboration. Bilkisu shared techniques for upcycling denim into functional household items.