Creating ‘Story Labs’ in the Sharing Economy.

We are entering an era called the ‘sharing economy’. The human story is evolving exponentially faster than ever before because of the access to shared information and collaborative problem solving. The stories that are critical for our evolution used to be slowly passed down to us vertically from generation to generation. Today, as a result of globalization, advancements in technology and social network communications, these stories are now shared ‘horizontally’, almost in real time.

To demonstrate horizontal vs. vertical storytelling I will share a short film called Papikatuk that we shot in the Canadian arctic as we explored the impacts of climate change in the Northern communities. Climate change is not only impacting our global eco-system, it’s also changing the WHAT and HOW of the stories that we share with each other. (You can watch the film here: https://vimeo.com/7207814 )

For the Inuit to survive in their harsh climate for so long, they have relied on teachings and stories passed down from generation to generation. However, the Inuit elders now find themselves in an unfamiliar time… a rapidly changing environment and world, that leaves them questioning, “What skills and traditions do I pass down that will help my grandchildren survive in a future I know nothing about?”

Inter-generational vertical storytelling will continue for as long as there are human beings on earth. But our world is changing rapidly, and new stories are being created faster than generations can keep up to pass them down. We need to create policies and processes that encourage the sharing of these stories horizontally; peer to peer, business to business, government to government.

Social innovation labs are popping up all around the world. They bring stakeholders together to find solutions to complex challenges. Tools and processes from different fields, in the private and public sectors, enable the testing of ideas, which lead to actionable solutions. An example of a social innovation lab is happening right now in New Brunswick, Canada. This lab explores how governments can open their data and share their information (stories) locally and globally in order to accelerate positive change.

What if we created a new lab that shared solutions discovered by social innovation labs around the globe? This would help us transition from vertical to horizontal storytellers in the sharing economy, and it could accelerate the movement to build a sustainable world as soon as 2030, a goal that many businesses and governments are working to achieve.

Let us recognize that our global connectedness makes us stronger. We are one community, and one human family. We can no longer wait for stories to be passively shared with us through the generations. The challenges we face today need to be addressed immediately, and story labs will help us accomplish this. YOU have the ability to contribute to a healthier, kinder and peaceful planet by sharing your challenges and successes. This will help other communities overcome their challenges as well, as we all learn from each other in the sharing economy.

Can we share the climate change story further and tell it stronger in 2016? What will happen if we don’t?