What is Local talks?
Seven minutes on stage for a representative of a local organization to tell their story at the beginning of our Meetings for Change.
As a reminder, Meetings for Change is a networking event where local NGOs meet international donor organizations to create equal partnerships. Read more here: https://philanthropy.com.ua/news/view/zustrici-dla-zmin-format-dati-ta-meta-2
“Ideas are worth spreading” is the motto of the world-famous Ted Talks conference, which we were inspired by. But we believe that not only ideas, but also experience is worth sharing. Especially the experience of local organizations.
One of the principles of localization that we have been actively promoting in recent years is called “Start learning from us”, which encourages donors and international organizations to pay attention to the experience of local NGOs. Local organizations can teach their partners how to understand the context of a region or community, linguistic peculiarities and offer creative approaches to work.
However, knowledge cannot be transferred by force. Local Talks are designed to spark curiosity and showcase the diversity of experiences that local organizations can share.
The recipe for Local Talks is simple: one inspiring story, generously spiced with personal experience, add details about the work in your region, and finally, a call to international organizations or local NGOs to make a difference in Ukraine's future.
But telling stories, as it turned out, is not so easy. That's why, together with a public speaking coach, we help speakers.
Here are some tips we would like to give to our future speakers:
1. A story should not be a report. Before writing a story, think: “Who will benefit from hearing this?”
2. The simpler the better. Don't overload your story with statistics and terms if they don't emphasize your point.
3. Follow the structure. Every story should have a beginning, a climax, and a conclusion.
4. Do not limit yourself to general phrases. Stories become unique through details, so tell us about the specifics of work in your region, direction, and projects.
5. One story = one opinion. Seven minutes is not a lot of time, so highlight the main idea you would like to convey and build the whole story around it.
To get a better idea of what your story might look like, watch a speech from past events:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFxTwc2-PdE&t=519s
A few more moments from behind the scenes
Before the event, our team helps speakers adapt to the stage. Together, we check equipment and materials, show you where to stand to avoid being blinded by the projector, or draw attention to other issues that may affect your speech.
Also, we conduct a live broadcast of the event, and additionally publish each performance separately with English subtitles on our YouTube channel to increase the audience. We will be only too happy if you continue to share your story after your speech.
How to become a Local talks speaker?
Follow the announcements of the next Meetings for Change (link to the Meetings page) and answer the question “Do you have a story you would like to tell?” during registration.
We look forward to hearing your stories!