Humans of Purpose 415: From the Archives (October 2021) - Stories, Power, and Who Gets to Speak
My guests this week are Damon Gameau, Hannah Diviney, Doug Cronin, and Hani Abdile - together, they explore storytelling as a force for cultural change, unpacking who gets to speak, whose voices are amplified, and how stories shape the futures we imagine.
Damon Gameau is an actor and filmmaker known for his work mobilising audiences around climate, regeneration, and systems change. He reflects on why data alone cannot shift culture - only stories can - and why the narratives we tell about humans, nature, and society determine the outcomes we experience.
Hannah Diviney is a writer and disability advocate who reframes storytelling through lived experience. She challenges the way representation is done, calling for people with disability to be protagonists of their own lives. Her insights highlight how ownership and authorship shape belonging long before policy or language catch up.
Doug Cronin, co-founder of Our Race, brings a lens of ethics and accountability. He examines how stories are designed, who controls them, and who benefits, drawing on First Nations perspectives and lived-experience frameworks. Doug champions collaboration over consultation, and community over content.
Hani Abdile, poet and spoken-word artist, brings the emotional and human centre to the conversation. Her reflections on displacement, survival, and creative expression remind us that storytelling is not just strategy - it is a lifeline.
In this archival episode from October 2021, this panel discussion explores regenerative and ethical storytelling. Five years on, their insights feel both prescient and essential, reminding us that storytelling is a form of cultural power, one that requires accountability, humility, and courage to wield well.
🔗 Explore more from our brilliant guests' work at the links below.
Hannah Diviney:
https://hannahdiviney.com/
https://www.instagram.com/hannahthewildflower/?hl=en
Doug Cronin:
https://www.ourrace.com.au/our-story
https://www.instagram.com/our_race/?hl=en
https://www.facebook.com/sharingourstories/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/our-race/
Damon Gameau:
https://www.instagram.com/damon.gameau/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/regenerators/?hl=en
Hani Abdile:
https://wordtravels.info/hani-abdile
https://redroompoetry.org/poets/hani-abdile/
Growing Your Business and Impact
Talk to us today about how we can grow your capacity to level up your business and impact with our fully trained and managed outsourced marketing solutions - delivered by our digital heroes armed with good strategy, the latest tech and big smiles.
Learn more at humansofpurpose.com
Promotional Partnerships
Like what we are serving up on Humans of Purpose? Our promotional campaigns have delivered great marketing and sales outcomes and ROI for our partners to date.
Whether you're seeking a 1-month, 2-month or season sponsorship, follow the flow below to become a partner before we run out of our remaining promotional slots.
Click Here to learn more about collaborating on a custom campaign package. Ready to partner? Just complete this short Partner Enquiry Form and we'll be in touch.
Gold Membership
Want a premium listening experience that directly supports us to keep making the podcast?
Join current members Michael, Pravati, Noel, Kathy, Andrew 1, Andrew 2, Chris, Nikki, Margaret, Ben, Misha, Sarah and Geoff and enjoy our range of member benefits:
- Premium dedicated podcast feed
- Removal of all three ads per episode
- Early access to all episodes
- Full transcripts of all episodes
- Brokered intros to all podcast guests
- Ask me anything page access
To take up this great offer, just head to our Gold Member page today.
CREDITS
Music intro and outro on this podcast was written and performed by Keyo Rhodes, with Harrison McGregor on drums and percussion. Sound engineering and mastering by Lachlan McGregor.