Dear NSN member,
I’m writing to you today on behalf of NSN’s board of directors about a serious issue facing our organization. It’s serious, and it won’t wait. So despite it coming in the midst of the run-up to the Summit, we’re bringing it to you now. And we’re asking you to weigh in - we need to hear from you. Our Present SituationFor some time now, we’ve been taking steps to plan the 2020 Summit. Early this year, NSN’s board of directors endorsed a strategy of rotating the Summit through NSN’s seven geographic regions, and determined that the next one (after Fremont) would be the Southeast region (AL, GA, FL, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN). Thanks to a gracious offer from the Southern Order of Storytellers to be our co-host in 2020, we’ve been working toward securing a venue in the Atlanta area. Today the situation is the enactment of controversial legislation in Georgia, tomorrow it may be something else. I’m not writing to discuss this specific issue with you. Despite the strong feelings held by many, the broader issue for NSN is the question: “How will NSN choose to respond to socio-political issues?” Our Recommended ResponseWe believe that we are constituted as a non-partisan, apolitical organization. Our membership includes a substantially diverse population, and it is unwise to assume that all of us feel the same way about every issue. For this reason, we’ve articulated a “Policy of Engaged Neutrality” for NSN: It is from NSN’s Values -- Responsive Innovation, Cultural Awareness and Engagement, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Integrity -- that we draw the following policy: The National Storytelling Network will not organizationally articulate or otherwise provide support for or opposition to any specific candidate for office, legislation (pending or finalized), or policy, apart from the advancement of the art of storytelling. We will instead seek to engage all people to tell and hear one another’s stories, with the expectation that the path to resolution is paved, in part, by empathy and respect. Our individual members are encouraged to pursue their convictions however they deem appropriate.
For convenient reference, here are NSN’s mission and vision: MISSION: The National Storytelling Network is a membership organization made up of individuals and organizations involved in storytelling. Its mission is to advance all forms of storytelling within the community through promotion, advocacy and education. VISION: A world in which all people value the power of storytelling and its ability to connect, inspire, and instill respect within our hearts and communities.
In the interest of engagement, and in recognition of this apolitical posture, we are presently still pursuing plans to work with the Southern Order of Storytellers to hold the 2020 Summit in or near Atlanta, GA. As poet Naomi Shahib Nye said in her keynote at the NSN Conference, "People can reject your politics. They can reject your religion. But they can't reject your story." Following her words and the wisdom of generations of storytellers, we see storytelling as a bridge between opposing viewpoints. Our counsel, and our plan, is to include in the 2020 Summit a forum in which people on all sides of an issue can tell their stories, confident of respectful, deep, listening. We believe that such a forum has the potential to meaningfully address this situation. We are actively seeking those who would be willing to participate in such a forum. We Need to Hear From YouJuly of 2020 is still 14 months away, and we don’t know what will happen in the interim. Will the situation in Georgia become more or less of an issue? Would an alternate site experience a similar disruption? How do we make long-term plans in these divided times? All of these questions - and more - have been on the minds of the board. We take our responsibility to lead this organization seriously, and we are concerned that this issue, and NSN’s actions in light of it, could have a significant impact on our future. We’ve created a forum on NSN’s website to give our members an opportunity to be heard on this matter. If your membership with NSN is current, simply log in, then select FORUMS from the top menu. You should be able to find this forum topic readily. If you have forgotten your password, use the “Click Here to Reset Your Password” link just above the username field on the login page. If you find that your membership has lapsed, you may renew it by choosing “JOIN OR RENEW” from the top menu. You are strongly encouraged to keep your dialogue on this forum respectful. And please remember that we are not debating an issue here, but rather discussing the stated policy and our plans to move forward with the 2020 Summit in the Atlanta area. We welcome your input. Respectfully, Bill Wight and The National Storytelling Network Board of Directors |