Stories on Leadership

Here is a blog post by our chairperson Mr. Sanjib Chaudhary

 

Stories, the characters that make the stories and the places where the stories are born – have you ever pondered entwining them together?

The simplicity of characters and the complexity of situations while weaving a story – have you ever mulled over this dilemma?

Every brand has multiple stories to tell and many stories make a brand – have you ever thought this way?

 

I had been following StoryCycle since its inception and only when I attended the StoryCamps organised by StoryCycle in Saptari and Surkhet, I came closer to know more about the nuances of storytelling. And let me tell you storytelling isn’t as simple as it seems to be. However, nothing is impossible if you know how to turn the ‘impossible’ into ‘I’m possible’. And StoryCycle provides the perfect platform to sharpen your saws on storytelling.

 

See how we’ve been telling stories at StoryCycle:

Stories about people and place

We dig out the human interest stories and find the stories behind places. The evidence and map-based stories take you to the actual places of the origin of stories.  

 

Stories about travel

The more you travel across Nepal, more you discover how beautiful the country and the people are. We organise travel-based events to promote local culture and domestic products.

Stories about art and heritage

Nepal's culture dates back to several thousand years, forming a foundation on which subsequent generations have built. We promote these rich culture and historical artefacts globally.

 

Stories about languages

Every language has its own plethora of words, phrases and idioms that no other language can match. We translate stories from one language to another so that they reach a wider audience.

 

 

Stories about digital and social media

Social Media is the fastest growing industry in the world and it’s taking over the world quicker than anything else. We train people on how to use social media effectively and efficiently.

 

 

Working as a team

Members run StoryCycle. It’s the members who choose the board, advisors and the working committee. Members decide on the strategic direction and the roadmap for the future. It’s all about working as a team.

 

Turning ideas into action

Storytellers not only tell stories at StoryCycle. We delve deeper into the issues, formulate ideas and turn those ideas into action. Our Dream City and GreenGrowth (were mere ideas when we started but today they’ve developed into full-fledged sister entities.

Follow the History of StoryCycle

 

 

POKHARA: StoryCycle organized two half-day (one day in total) training sessions in Pokhara for local journalists on December 15-16, 2017. A total of 13 participants including two from outside Pokhara (Damauli and Gorkha) benefited from the workshop.

The first session focused on digital storytelling. Bhim Ghimire, Pokhara bureau chief and photojournalist of Kantipur, did a presentation on digital journalism in the city. He pointed out local trends such as lack of fact-checking, news reports without proper sourcing and a tendency to publish viral videos. The use of social media (especially Facebook) increased during the recently held parliamentary elections.

After the presentation, our trainer Arpan Shrestha, a cross media producer who has worked for Al Jazeera English, The Guardian and Vice, ran a session on using smartphone for reporting. The hands-on training on basic photography, shooting and editing video by using a smartphone was useful for participants. Training also covered tools and apps required for digital storytelling.

The second day’s half-day session covered search engine optimisation, map-based storytelling, developing a storytelling kit and best way to present and promote digital stories. Video recordings of sessions by Mohan Mainali, the editor of South Asia Check and British journalist Laura Oliver (formerly with The Guardian) were also presented to the participants and focused on fact-checking, verification and composing headlines for the new media.


The video session was followed by a hands-on sensitization activity by Shrestha, where participants were divided into popup newsrooms and were given a breaking news scenario but only had social media as their primary tool and disposal. The groups were assigned different scenarios where they had to quickly search and verify user-generated content, use social media and the internet to research and find sources, seek copyrights and abide by media ethics and privacy before they could break the news.

Finally, Saurav Dhakal, founder of StoryCycle, briefed the participants about Google Classroom, where we continue to mentor and support our participants.

Journalists outside Kathmandu rarely receive training on changing landscape of digital storytelling and how to best utilise the available tools. Under pressure to produce multiple copies, they don’t get chance to hone their skills or learn new skills. Our training strengthened their capacity. The takeaway for participants was that smartphone, if used properly, could be a useful tool in digital storytelling.

 

A group of ten journalists working at Nepal’s leading digital outlets gathered in Nagarkot in mid-August for a residential workshop.  The group of ten was selected after a rigorous application process. After almost a two-hour drive from Kathmandu, the participants--senior reporters, copy editors and newsroom managers--arrived at a newly opened hotel in the resort town about kilometers northeast of Kathmandu.

For almost two days, they were free from deadline pressure. Everyone was eager to learn and share his or her experience of working at the emerging and increasingly popular medium of digital journalism. The first day’s session began with a brief introduction from trainers including Laura Oliver, a former Guardian journalist, Mohan Mainali, editor of South Asia Check, Deepak Adhikari, an independent journalist and Saurav Dhakal, the founder of StoryCycle.

The evening’s session set the tone for next day’s workshop, which began with an introduction to digital trends at global and local levels. Oliver did a presentation on how global media outlets such as Guardian are focusing on online readers. Mainali shared presented instances of fake news in Nepal and ways to tackle them.

Participants engaged in the discussion on audience engagement, how to share stories on social media and how to handle contents from readers.

Back in Kathmandu on August 19, StoryCycle organized a half-day session for reporters, who covered areas such as parliament, reconstruction, health, economics, and court. Oliver showcased good practices from English media in the US and UK whereas Arpan Shrestha, a Nepali journalist, shared tips on how to use mobile for better storytelling. Participants practiced new skills and raised questions about challenges they faced in their reporting.

The participants have access to Google Classroom, where we continue to share tips and ideas. Through the platform, we provide mentorship and assistance to them. We are holding another workshop for digital journalists of Pokhara. Watch this space for the announcement about the workshop in the beautiful city in western Nepal.

Classroom Link: https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/NzA0OTk3ODkyMVpa

 

Digital journalism - latest trends and practices

Story Cycle and the British Embassy in Nepal working with journalist to strengthening Digital Journalists skills, We are organising series of workshops. 

Digital Journalism--latest trends and practices will take place in Nagarkot on August 17-18. We have already selected 10 participants for the workshop. We received an overwhelming number of applications for the workshops. We would like to thank all for their interest.

We are all set to host the workshop. Laura Oliver, a British trainer and former Guardian journalist, is arriving soon to share her insights. Apart from Laura, we have a line-up of experienced journalists including Mohan Mainali, Deepak Adhikari, Saurav Dhakal.

We will update our sessions through Twitter and Facebook. 

What we will cover in the workshop:

- How to tell better stories for digital outlets. How to be productive as a news reporter. How to tailor your headlines and news story for digital outlets to increase your audience. The trainer will share experience from newsrooms of digital outlets. 

- How to write for social media. How to promote stories on social media. 

- How to handle user-generated content and verify the facts. How to verify news, photos, video and audio published on social media. 

About Laura Oliver

Laura Oliver is a freelance journalist, digital consultant and trainer with a background in social media for newsrooms and working with audiences.

She was previously head of social and communities at the Guardian (UK), where she led a team of journalists focused on sourcing, verifying and telling stories with social media, and building online communities around key topics, geographies and interests.

Since becoming freelance she has trained journalists at the BBC and Financial Times, written for NPR, the Guardian and numerous specialist news websites.

About  Mohan Mainali

Mohan Mainali is the editor of southasiacheck, Nepal's only fact-checking initiative that has introduced the concept of fact-checking to Nepali journalism.

Mainali has travelled extensively to remote corners of Nepal on reporting assignments. Such assignments form the basis of his features and investigative reports published in Nepali and international media, documentaries and books. His documentaries include: The Living of Jogimara, Puneko Pant and Timber to Tibet, among others.

Mainali has two books to his credit. Upallo Thalo (2012) is a travelogue through which readers become familiar with the lives of people living in Nepal's remote mountainous areas. His book Mantha Darayeko Jug (2015) is a journalist’s account of non-combatant victims of Nepal's decade-long internal war.

For more details,

Please contact Samita Kapali at  [email protected] , [email protected]. The workshops are free to attend, but places are limited. 

 

महावीर पुन संग सम्वनधीत बिभिन्न सामाग्रीहरु संकलन गरिएकाे छ । यि सामाग्रीहरु स्राेत खुलाएर पून प्रयाेग गर्न सकिने छ ।  

फाेटाे बादल/ ज्ञवाली स्टाेरी साइकल 

स्केच रविन्द्र मानन्धर 

Dolakha has it all for the inquiring and the attentive. If you are with someone who knows the area like his palm-lines, there is every chance that you will soon understand the changing ethos of the place. The town's neat and well-regulated life steeped in age-old traditions. The fresh air, the tourist spots that are almost voluble about their ancient tales, and the simple, believing people immediately send to rest the typical desperation of the resident of a metropolis. Perhaps that is why the Maoists spared the town, influenced by the spell of its feminine beauty.

In ancient times when Nepal had a profitable trade relationship with Tibet, this was the route that merchants used. It was then that this town rose to prosperity. There are still some houses belonging to those times. According to some locals, the town has more or less faithfully maintained its past appearance.
Apparently, as soon as trade and commerce dried up, Dolakha ceased to age. Despite the time-ravaged houses, the town is young, and so are its sons who constitute one of the most reliable work forces for odd jobs in the capital. When Laxman was injured and the great ape-god Hanuman was asked to bring a certain medicinal herb for the rescue, the mighty ape-god hovered on the sky above Dolakha, say the locals. Probably the beauty of the region dulled his sense of judgement and he ended up taking a chunk of a hill near the Gaurishanker mountain. "You can still see a chunk missing there," says Rakesh Shrestha of Ccho-Rolpa Tours and Tavels. And even though you cannot clearly make out the pointed spot due to the distance, you will be surprised to find that your mind has all of a sudden acquired extra creativity. In a flash of a second, you have conjured up the image of the ape-god performing that wondrous feat. That is not all. The Bhimeswor temple is not a new name to the god-fearing throughout the nation. People pour in every week from the capital and from various other districts to offer prayers to the God. During their visit, they don't forget to ask one famous question, "Is the God sweating?" For they all have heard that if Bhimeswor sweats, that means something big is to happen. And that may be good or bad. Legend has it that the despairing Lord Shiva traveled though this area, carrying the corpse of His beloved Sati Devi. The corpse of the goddess had decayed so badly that a piece of her flesh detached and fell down the gorges immediately north of Dolakha. Thus sprang up the temple of Tripura Sundari. Talk to the priest and he will confide that a certain golden icon was stolen from this beautiful temple years ago. Hence, the misfortune that has befallen the country ever since. Though decrepit with lack of maintenance, the Manjushree Park. will spring up to life as soon as you step in. It will start whispering love-poetry through the branches of its old and wise trees. If you have an inclination to pen down verses, you might even end up writing some poems. But be careful, the ground is slippery. The dry grass will try its best to upset your balance. But then, it is a harmless mischief. Even if you slip and fall down six times or even a dozen times as I did, don't curse the area. For there are forest-gods hovering around, and you might end-up infuriating them.
Quite naturally, as Dolakha has been at peace since a long time. And the logic of conflict is something that they cannot understand, unless as some form of madness, spiritual illness, or moral pestilence.

January 17, 2011: The HR Meet, patented and organized annually by Growth Sellers Private Limited, is to be held this year on 24th February, Thursday. Every year HR Meet is organized with a number of participants from various sectors including business and non-profit organizations.  

The only Human Resource meet of its kind has been held for three consecutive years so far. The theme for HR Meet 2011 is: 'Learn from the Leaders'.

And appropriate to the theme, the program will be led by two of the world leaders, in their respective fields. One of the top ranking motivational and management expert who also ranks in the fourth position in Sales Management Professional in the world, Mr. Barry Maher, who is also author of the book “Filling The Glass” listed as one of the world’s seven essential business books by The Librarian along with other influential HR Leader Mr. Sanjay Muthal listed among 50 influential leaders in India, will hold sessions for the Nepali professionals in this year's edition. Also Spiritual educator Mr. L.P. Bhanu will be one of the esteemed resource persons. Managers from several SAARC nations are  expected to participate in this program as per several correspondences received.

HR Manager of the year 2010

HR Meet is the perfect platform to discuss HR issues as well as strengthening and empowering the HR community for future. For the same purpose, starting last year, HR Meet has been highlighted by the award: HR Manager of the year.

The nominations for the award for the year 2010 is open, with number of entries already received so far.

Neeta Rana, HR Manager of Golchha organization, had won the award for the year 2009.

Anybody can file the nominations, for HR Manager of 2010. However, nobody is allowed to nominate their own name.

Nomination form can be downloaded at http://www.growthsellers.com/hrmeet2011/HR_Manager_of_the_Year_2010.pdf

 

Background:

Detail on Barry Maher: http://www.barrymaher.com/bio.htm

Detail on Sanjay Muthal: http://www.nugridconsulting.com/team.htm#

For participation on HR meet 2011: http://www.growthsellers.com/hrmeet2011/

 

A timely story about Mark Zuckerberg, a friendly blue giant, and dirty old coal. http://www.greenpeace.org/coalfacebook