On 14 August 2025, The third session of the Voices United Series, titled “The Power of the Story: Messaging that Moves People, Policies, and Peace,” brought together over 25 participants from Kajiado, with WYDE partners joining from Nairobi and Uganda. The session highlighted storytelling’s transformative role in advocacy and peacebuilding, creating an engaging and insightful space for shared learning and dialogue.
Moderated by Esther Nora, Project Coordinator at The Youth Café, and assisted by Peter Mumbiko of The Youth Café, the session flowed seamlessly, blending training, case studies, and a guest speaker spotlight that left participants both inspired and equipped.
Storytelling for Change – Training by Blair Angima
The training segment, led by Blair Angima, explored how narratives can challenge entrenched systems, shape laws, and foster sustainable peace. Blair emphasized weaving together emotional engagement, critical information, and strategic framing to influence attitudes and drive meaningful change.
He showcased storytelling’s impact across diverse fields—environmental conservation, public health, political reform, and dignity-based advocacy—drawing on global and African examples. A key takeaway was the need to move away from victim-centered narratives toward humanizing stories that amplify systemic issues with empathy and respect.
Participants practiced these principles through hands-on exercises, developing five-part stories that highlighted:
The affected community
Their challenges
The needed change
The actors who can drive transformation
A vision for a hopeful outcome
One key discussion focused on youth unemployment in Kenya, with reflections on systemic barriers such as corruption, nepotism, and tribalism. Participants called for equal opportunities and fairness, setting an aspirational target to reduce unemployment to 10% by 2030—a shift that could reduce crime, improve mental health, and unlock Kenya’s potential.
Blair reinforced these reflections with historic and contemporary case studies, including:
Watergate (USA) → Ethics in Government Act
George Floyd (USA) → Police reform debates worldwide
Edward Snowden (USA) → Digital surveillance and privacy reforms
#EndSARS (Nigeria), Rhodes Must Fall (South Africa), and Kenya’s 2007–2008 post-election violence → National reforms and rights protections
These stories highlighted storytelling as a force for grassroots mobilization and systemic change.
Guest Speaker Spotlight – Nashiba Nakabira
The peacebuilding spotlight featured Nashiba Nakabira, the African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace in East Africa. Introduced by Peter Mumbiko, Nashiba delivered an inspiring talk titled “From Conflict to Connection: Storytelling as a Tool for Peacebuilding.”
She emphasized the youth, peace, and security (YPS) agenda, highlighting four key pillars: prevention, protection, partnerships, and reintegration. Drawing from her work in Kenya, Uganda, and Somalia, she demonstrated how national action plans on YPS are making headway in fostering inclusion and peace.
Nashiba underscored the importance of African-led solutions to regional crises, from addressing cross-border abductions to protecting young activists and civil society leaders. Storytelling, she argued, is a powerful vehicle for reconciliation, countering divisive rhetoric and amplifying positive narratives that unite rather than divide.
Key Reflections and Takeaways
As the session concluded, participants reflected on the deep resonance of stories shared—whether grassroots campaigns, historic scandals, or peacebuilding initiatives. The common thread was clear: storytelling is not merely communication, but a catalyst for justice, equity, and peace.
Esther Nora, in closing, thanked the participants and partners, affirming the central theme:
When told with empathy, strategy, and purpose, stories have the power to move people, shift policies, and build peace.