Aquifer Media & Will Coley

From the Creative Counsel and the Opportunity Agenda

Creative Counsel, the arts and media group and sister organization of The Opportunity Agenda, is pleased to announce the launch of the 1000 Voices Archive.

This multi-partner project brings together award winning filmmakers, some of the nation’s largest advocacy networks, and creative professionals to showcase 1000 stories, told by advocacy heroes, that elevate the core values that are central to a just and equitable world. The stories will be used in town halls, training rooms, organizer meetings, local media, policy briefings, and classrooms across the country.

The 1000 Voices Archive is Creative Counsel’s debut multimedia project intended to tap the tremendous power of stories to shape community dialogues and drive policy change. Many of Creative Counsel’s stories will be promoted through the outreach efforts of the 1000 Voices Archive team and communications networks, to ensure that they reach the largest, strategically-identified audiences possible. And in the coming weeks, Creative Counsel will announce their Facebook and mySpace pages, and postings on dozens of other sites, to launch the Archive’s social networking community.

Key content includes:

• The “crown jewel” — The Interactive Map of the Archive’s stories, searchable by Core Values, Issue Areas, and zoomable to key cities;

• A Toolkit accompanying each video, including zip code specific letter writing tools to contact elected officials and local media, with dynamically generated letter templates allowing the viewer to “shape public dialogue” by sharing viewpoints and a link to the video;

• Dozens of resources; factsheets, screening tools, recent news articles, facilitation guides, weblinks, and Share It tools related to the storyteller’s themes;

• A One Stop Policy Education Shop for viewers to learn about legislation, local public representatives, and to receive email updates on issues related to the storyteller’s themes.

Many Voices, Authentic Voices:

The archive emphasizes storytellers with diverse voices and backgrounds, including:

Timothy Hill, a Black Youth Vote! leader from South Carolina;

Merle Bell, an older Iowan farmer;

Heidi Pascual, an Asian American publisher;

Marina Caeiro, a Latina organizer;

Donna Land Maldonado, a Native American media leader;

and in the coming weeks, stories of the undocumented.

…all united by core values that have informed their lives and drive their work and life choices. At its best, the Archive reminds us that there are still many who care deeply and are working hard for the values of community, voice, and justice.

In 2008 and 2009, the 1000 Voices Archive will produce a significant number of stories on the themes of health care, immigration, racial justice, and women’s leadership. If you would like a customized tour of the 1000 Voices Archive platform or to learn more about the Creative Counsel, please contact info@1000VoicesArchive.org.

www.opportunityagenda.org | (212) 334-5977