How do you make progress when the loudest public discourse is stacked against you?
Across the world and on many issues, hard-won rights are being rolled back – and it’s not happening by accident. The narratives that shape what feels “normal”, “reasonable”, or “inevitable” are shifting. Social impact organisations are increasingly asking one big question: How do you make progress when the loudest public discourse is stacked against you?
This session will share practical learning from the development and testing of a narrative campaign designed to counter the rolling back of girls’ rights. You’ll explore a practical guide to how we can rebuild narrative ground in order to recreate the cultural and emotional conditions that allow advocacy, mobilisation, and fundraising to succeed over time.
You’ll learn ways to identify priority audiences beyond your known supporter base; how to test competing narrative framings in live digital environments; and how to navigate the risks of backlash, polarisation, and misinterpretation. Honest reflections on what resonated, what failed, and the trade-offs involved in speaking to sceptical or values-divided audiences will be shared, too.
This workshop is designed for anyone whose organisation is grappling with hostile public debate or cultural resistance to its mission and who is looking for practical ways to shift opinions instead of just mobilising those already in your corner.
Learning outcomes
- Understand how narrative power creates public permission for change and why engagement alone is not a reliable indicator of progress
- Learn a practical approach to developing, testing, and refining narratives, including how to identify priority audiences, assess emotional resonance, and spot narratives that backfire or polarise
- Gain tools to apply narrative campaigning in your own contexts, helping you to rebuild legitimacy, protect long-term trust, and create the conditions for effective advocacy and mobilisation