At World Pulse, we prioritize Voice, Connection, and Resources. Sharing your stories with our global community can create and nurture connections, uplifting each other in the process. However, some stories may contain sensitive information that can make readers uncomfortable or trigger them.
To support our community members, this resource provides guidance on responding to difficult stories and sensitive content on World Pulse. It is an evolving resource, so keep checking back for updates. If you have a strategy to add based on your own experience, let us know via the chat bubble on World Pulse!
A. Setting the Stage: Being a Mindful Encourager
Our World Pulse community of encouragers brings together knowledge, expertise, and experience to make a meaningful impact. We believe in solidarity, community, and togetherness as values for a peaceful and inclusive world. However, in a diverse world with vastly different lived experiences, it's easy to become overwhelmed or let biases affect how we support others. It's important to remember that unlearning and learning can help overcome these challenges. And don't forget to take care of yourself while supporting others - you can't pour from an empty cup!
As you move in to becoming an encourager on World Pulse, here are some useful tools for you to rely on:
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Take our unconscious bias training: Start with this prework activity and follow it up with this video
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Take our self-care training to make sure you are taking care of yourself while you offer encouragement
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Read our nifty guide on what to do if you don’t know how to respond to a story
B. Reading and Responding to a Story with Sensitive Content
Community members on World Pulse might want to share stories on the realities challenging their communities. World Pulse can be an important channel for them to create awareness, feel heard, and navigate the challenge itself and the isolation that comes with facing such challenges. Storytellers may share their stories because they simply want visibility, or they want specific insights. Use the indicator under the title with the subhead “Seeking” to understand what the storyteller is seeking.
To help you respond to stories from community members on these lines, we have identified some useful strategies. We’ve also offered examples, but don’t hold back on being creative - YOUR voice will make your response authentic!
General Comment: No matter what the storyteller is seeking, always start by acknowledging and thanking the storyteller, and showing solidarity. It is always a good practice to thank the storyteller for speaking up about a challenging situation, and acknowledge the courage it takes to do so. However, merely thanking them may not be enough, especially when the story presents a difficult reality. It is a good idea to acknowledge the challenge and its impacts on the storyteller and their community (if applicable), and demonstrate solidarity.
Stories Seeking Encouragement: When a storyteller seeks encouragement, they are looking for you as a community member to step up to assure them that they are seen and heard. They probably aren’t expecting you to come in with a solution or resources. In response to such stories, it is always a good idea to acknowledge the voice of the storyteller, and to center either their story or the action they are describing in their story in your response.
Stories Seeking Connection: Storytellers who are in difficult situations may want to build connections with their readers, by telling their story. They’re typically looking to create awareness on a situation they’re dealing with or issue they’re passionate about, and in the process, they are looking for a way to affirm their connections with other readers. When you see a story with sensitive content where the storyteller is seeking connection, remember that you must check in on your capacity before offering up your time to nurture connection. It can be difficult for a storyteller to build connections with someone who is absent or unavailable for the most part. It is also important for you to assess your bandwidth to determine how you feel about nurturing a connection, and to communicate your availability. You may specify a medium through which you can connect, too.
Stories Seeking Feedback: When a storyteller shares a sensitive or difficult story and seek feedback either on the story and incident they’re writing about, or an action they’re taking. In such cases, it might be useful to center the request for feedback in your response, but only if you are able to offer that feedback.
If you do not have feedback to offer, it is perfectly okay to say that you don’t have direct feedback to give, and instead, fall back on acknowledging their story, thanking them for sharing, and showing solidarity.
Stories Seeking Collaboration: When a storyteller presents a difficult narrative with a request to collaborate, it is usually a case where they have identified a very specific area for the collaboration. They name the problem, identify what they know would be an ideal solution - or sometimes open space up to discuss potential solutions through a collaboration, and call on others to step up to offer support. In such cases, commenting to acknowledge their story and courage in narrating it is definitely valuable, but it is important to acknowledge their call for collaboration and respond to it if you are in a position to do so.
Stories Seeking Action: Storytellers who present their challenges may also choose to call for support in an action they are either already taking, or are intending to take. For example, there may be a story on gender-based violence that may tie in a call for readers to sign a petition to amplify a call to leaders to end this particular form of harm. In such cases, it is always useful to spend time reading through the call to action and understanding exactly what that action entails. Once you have the information you need, you can make a carefully informed decision on whether or not to engage, and accordingly in what way.
If you choose not to engage with the call to action, it may be enough to thank the person for their story and for initiating action.
Stories Seeking Visibility: When storytellers seek visibility on World Pulse, they are looking to have their stories witnessed, heard, and held with care. In such cases, they share stories that may not be as easily accessible online - perhaps because these stories have no place in mainstream media, or because it may not be as easy or safe to speak about these stories outside.
Example: “Thank you for telling us about <incident>. I’m sorry that you are / your community is dealing with such a harsh challenge and I truly value your effort and energy in sharing this truth. Please keep your stories coming, I value your voice and I am here to listen!”
As the storyteller is seeking visibility, you can also ask, through a comment, if you can share their story on any other social media platform. Be sure to name the platform too, so they can make an informed decision.
C. Reading and responding to comments with sensitive / difficult content: Sometimes, community members may be moved to respond to a story with their own experiences or may shine a spotlight on a difficult situation in the comments section of a story or initiative, or even profile. If you are the author of the story on which the community member has offered such a response, it is useful to start by acknowledging their share and letting them know that you have heard what they have to say. You may also urge them to consider sharing their own story if they feel safe and comfortable doing so. It may also be useful to direct them to resources on World Pulse - such as another member’s story or a resource we have put up - to help them find the support they may need.
D. Reading and responding to direct messages with sensitive / difficult content:
As community members on World Pulse, the direct messages offer up a place for you to connect one to one privately. Some members may feel safe about sharing sensitive information or talking about personal experiences that they may not be quite comfortable sharing through a story. Should a member reach out to you, start by identifying whether you are comfortable receiving what you’ve been told and requested. If you do not feel comfortable, it is alright to respond respectfully while politely declining to engage.
Please be sure to offer support only if you are in a position to do so, and that offering support will not impose a cost on you in terms of money, effort, time, or energy. You are well within your right to establish what you can and cannot do, but being polite in the process is always helpful.
E. Responding to Anger: Sometimes, community members may be dealing with challenging situations in their lives, and these challenging situations can leave them feeling helpless, angry, sad, hurt, and even cause them to present that anger through their content, comments, or messages. Should you be confronted by any anger from a community member, please know that you are well within your right to prioritize your safety and self-care, so you may definitely choose not to engage. We have a set of community guidelines to ensure respect and dignity for all. However, please alert us at community@worldpulse.org or via DM on World Pulse - we want to make sure that your experience on World Pulse is safe and comfortable for you!
F. Resources you can offer to community members with difficult stories to share:
Community members may make specific requests for collaboration, support, or even funding. Should you find such a request, some of these resources may come in handy:
- Urgent Action Fund: https://urgentactionfund.org/
- Mama Cash: https://www.mamacash.org/
- Global Fund for Women: https://www.globalfundforwomen.org/
For survivors facing violence or for those who are looking for resources for survivors they know, these resources can be useful:
- Imaara: http://www.imaara.in/ [Big ups to our community member Rasika for setting Imaara up!]
- Chayn: https://www.chayn.co/
