Training workshops to promote storytelling as a means of breaking stereotypes and racial divides will be held at Louis Trichardt Primary School and at the Methodist Church on 7 and 8 June.
In South Africa, the organisation Heartlines has taken up the challenge and launched a project through which it hopes to tackle the country's deepest divides. The What's Your Story? campaign aims to build understanding, trust and reconciliation through the process of personal storytelling.
"We live in a world of stereotypes – until we get to know each other's stories, we will treat each other according to the opinions and assumptions that we make. The only way to break this pattern is to get to know each other's stories. Only then will we see the human being behind the stereotype," says Heartline founder and CEO Dr Garth Japhet.
The way Heartlines plans on getting people to tell stories to one another is by firstly encouraging them to submit these to a common platform. The organisation has roped in churches, businesses, tertiary institutions and schools to help with the process. In the next few months, promotional and training workshops will be held throughout the country where interested parties can gain more knowledge on the "how" part of the process.
Heartlines has set up a website where examples of these stories already appear. The address is www.whatsyourstory.online. Visitors can click on the links and listen to the unique stories told by fellow-South Africans.
In the Soutpansberg area, the people to contact to find out more about the project are Rev Robbie Novella (Robbie.report@gmail.com or 083-4006152) or Rev Dick Mahné (revitup.dm@gmail.com or 082-4631454). The workshop on the 7th is aimed at Life Orientation teachers and will be from 15:00 to 17:00. The venue is the Louis Trichardt Primary School. On the 8th clergy will be trained at the Methodist Church. It starts at 09:30 and will continue until 12:00. Entrance is free for all the workshops.