In an era of shifting federal priorities and reduced investment in hunger and poverty alleviation, it is more critical than ever to uplift the voices of those most impacted by these changes. Yet too often, people with lived experience of hunger and poverty are excluded from the policy tables and public debates that shape their lives.
Join us Wednesday, July 16 for our next installment of the 2025 Zero Hunger Summer Seminars. This session will explore how to meaningfully and ethically integrate lived experience into advocacy efforts—whether through direct testimony or by responsibly telling others’ stories when they cannot speak for themselves. Participants will learn how to craft compelling narratives that not only highlight the human impact of policy decisions, but also move audiences—including media, funders, and policymakers—to action.
The session will include:
- Centering lived experience as a powerful and necessary component of hunger and poverty advocacy.
- Providing a clear, accessible description of the problem to audiences unfamiliar with the issue.
- Using data and personal stories together to create messages that resonate emotionally and are grounded in facts.
- Highlighting lived experience in ways that are respectful, accurate, and do not tokenize.
- Creating a strong call to action that ties personal stories to policy change.
- Navigating ethical considerations when telling someone else’s story, and strategies for obtaining consent or collaborating in storytelling.
Through this session, participants will gain the tools to amplify the voices of impacted communities with integrity and impact—ensuring that their experiences guide advocacy in a time when their needs are increasingly marginalized.
Thank You
