1989 Storytelling Exchange
2019 marked the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of East Germany and other former Soviet-Bloc countries. These events, which contributed to the eventual collapse of the U.S.S.R., are viewed as having ushered in a new era in Central-Eastern Europe and Russia. Yet the emergence of autocratic leaders and governments in Europe and elsewhere around the world over the last decade has prompted many analysts to raise concerns about the increasing fragility of democracy … and has mobilized citizens on behalf of its protection.
To commemorate the historic events of 1989, the “Telling Our Stories” Anniversary Exchange Program, funded by the U.S. Department of State and implemented by the NGO World Learning, brought teachers and students from 12 countries in the region together to learn about the history of communism, reflect on its impact on their own lives, and explore current approaches to civic engagement and action. As the group traveled to the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary, and the United States, they also participated in a series of digital storytelling sessions led by Silence Speaks. With the recognition that that any effort to build skills for civic engagement must support people in examining how their own life circumstances and decisions are informed by the historical, political, and cultural context in which they live, the sessions supported participants in sharing and producing stories from their own lives. These videos were shared at a culminating project event in Bulgaria. Participants continue to use them in classroom and community settings, to educate youth and adults about the legacy of the Soviet era and the need to protect and advocate for democracy and human rights in the present day. View selected examples below.
