Why stories matter and how to tell them responsibly
In a social context where marginalized voices are often ignored, public communication and writing about human rights become tools for giving visibility to stories that would otherwise remain untold. When we write about human rights, the goal isn’t only to “inform” — it’s also to build understanding, empathy, and sometimes, to contribute to change.
Below, we want to share a few tips & tricks (simple, practical steps) on how to write human-rights articles — from finding an idea and doing research, to structure and rewriting.
1) Start with your purpose: where do you want the story to go?
Before any draft, clarify your intention:
-
Why am I writing? (to inform / to create change / to start a conversation, etc.)
-
Who am I writing for? (the community, people new to the topic, decision-makers, etc.)
-
What do I want to show the reader? (“I want to tell/show the reader that…”)
💡 Practical tip: write a one-sentence purpose statement and place it at the top of your document. If the text starts to drift, come back to it.
2) How to find concrete topics (not just big themes)
The workshop offers a very practical list of topic sources. You can start from:
-
A problem (e.g., discrimination, access to services, violence)
-
Something unusual / hard to believe (rare, surprising, “people won’t believe this”)
-
News, national/international events, statistics (that you turn into a story)
-
Unusual locations, reports/studies/analysis, personal observations
Key exercise: from “your issues” (in your community / among young people / among close ones), pull out a real event that truly “deserves to be heard.”
3) Casting your hero: choose the right protagonist
A strong topic becomes powerful only when you choose the right “hero” (1–2 main characters). The workshop highlights the idea of “casting” — who you choose from a place/theme matters.
Quick casting checklist:
-
Who can carry the story (has stakes, decisions, conflict, a journey)?
-
Who is willing to speak (and under what safety conditions)?
-
Who brings complexity (not just a “victim,” but a whole person)?
4) Research: how to gather material for a story (not for a press release)
The workshop emphasizes two stages:
Pre-research: look up what’s already been written (Google), collect statistics, studies, reports, laws, and send access-to-information requests (if needed).
Fieldwork (research with all your senses): get close to people and their world, document with all your senses, collect concrete details (“the dog’s name and the beer brand”), collect dialogue (not quotes), gather scenes (not just images), and interview “for the story.”
Minimum recommended information to gather: at least 10 sources/people, 1–2 main characters, 2–3 statistics, a reference to a law, a strategy, an NGO study, and (when relevant) conventions/treaties, ECHR case law, and experts (lawyer, psychologist, etc.).
5) Storytelling elements that make a text feel “alive”
The criteria for a strong story are clear:
we should see and hear the characters, “feel” the place, have dialogue, action/a narrative thread, meaning and context, lived experience, concrete details and description.
Mini exercise: describe a real scene (a room / a walk / a meeting) in a vivid way — without distorting the truth.
Stories keep us close and make us stronger. If you have an experience you want to put into words, we’re here: message us and we’ll build it together, step by step, with respect for you and the context.