Why we tell success stories
Cross-posted from the Gates Foundation’s Foundation Notes blog:
I’ve been looking through responses to TEDxChange and want to explain why we tell success stories.
It’s easy to think that nothing is changing in the poorest parts of the world, that no progress is being made. But the facts show there has been real and dramatic progress – whether it’s the declining number of child deaths globally, the advances made against AIDS, or the halving of malaria deaths in several countries – especially over the past decade.
I believe that sharing stories of success is one of the most important things we can do to motivate and inspire governments, partners and individuals to support investing in effective development aid.
When Bill and I travel, we have been deeply touched by personal stories of lives changed for the better. We see great things happening on the ground – lives being saved, diseases prevented, and people lifting themselves and their communities out of poverty.
That’s why I’m sharing stories through events like TEDxChange, and also through the upcoming Living Proof event on October 18th. Together with our partners, we want to get these stories out and inform the conversation around global health and development investments.
Living Proof is about telling the real story of the incredible progress being achieved by people in developing countries, backed by the support of governments like ours.
With Living Proof, we’re asking people to celebrate – and share – the stories of those who are achieving success. Bill and I will be sharing more about Living Proof in the next couple of weeks.
Real lives. Real progress. Living Proof.
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The International ONE Blog is a daily log of the anti-poverty movement. The site is operated by ONE staff, with guest contributions from ONE volunteers, members and allies.
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12/10/2010 at 7:15 pm
Sharing success stories both large and small lets us see that the ripples we make in the waters of change will, eventually, reach the shore. They prove that every effort is worth making. Thanks for shining the spotlight on success.
13/10/2010 at 12:10 am
I volunteered for ONE collecting petition signatures at U2 Seville concert. One person asked me “but, are those campaigns worthy?” I used the fight against malaria as an answer.