The Dignified Storytelling Handbook is a resource to help storytellers and organisations promote and employ storytelling practices that are grounded in a deep respect for human dignity. It provides suggestions of issues to consider and actionable steps for putting the Dignified Storytelling Principles into practice. It also offers points for consideration when working with some types of groups where additional considerations are required due to sensitive circumstances or characteristics. Throughout the Dignified Storytelling Handbook, short case studies, titled “Story Spotlights,” are provided as concrete illustrations of aspects of dignified storytelling.

The Handbook is a tool to encourage all those involved in story generation and consumption towards thoughtful reflection, the assessment of risk, open and honest dialogue, and renewed innovation and creativity in the process and end products of the stories we tell. The guidelines included in the Handbook are designed to be broadly applicable to storytelling in development and humanitarian contexts, providing a framework and ideas for reflection and action. As cultures, situations, organisations, and types of communication differ, localisation will always be needed to appropriately apply the Dignified Storytelling Principles in a specific context.

The Dignified Storytelling Handbook is for everyone who is a storyteller or who works with storytellers, particularly those telling stories within development and humanitarian contexts. This list includes but is not limited to: policymakers, programmes and communications staff in international development agencies, INGOs/NGOs, charities, foundations, and corporations; freelance content creators; journalists; photojournalists; media and communications specialists; photographers; videographers; donors; influencers; and audiences.

If you consume, gather, make, facilitate, live, create, or tell stories that touch on issues of global and local importance, then we hope you will utilise this Handbook.