Catherine Stifter, New Routes Web & Media Co-director

I believe the personal is political. And over the years I have found more safety and freedom in speaking up for what I believe and who I am than in remaining quiet about it. My political experiences working toward women's equality and fighting for gay and lesbian rights for the past 30 years have reinforced the idea that individual stories and personal voices are important to the whole community. It is very encouraging for me to see and hear more and more immigrants speaking up, telling their stories and advocating for rights. Their voices are part of the collective story of our history and our America. Our communities grow stronger when we include everyone's voice in the conversation.  I am proud to be a part of New Routes to Community Health. I hope we all continue to learn from each other's stories.

All cultures tell stories. All humans once relied on this activity to stay connected with each other and the natural world. My hope is for people everywhere to continue to meet face to face and tell to each other stories. I don't want the art of storytelling, and the complementary art of listening to stories, to become lost in technological progress. Don't get me wrong, I love Facebook and iChat and email. I know we will discover creative ways to use technology to stay connected through our stories.

Topics: Community Media, Media distribution, Media production, New Routes Leaders, Technology, Web 2.0