On 17-18 May 2018, 19 people from 13 countries living with NCDs came together in Geneva to attend the Our Views, Our Voices 2018 training on building a public narrative.

With the aim of creating effective NCD spokespersons and advocates, the workshop was designed to offer a safe space for those with lived experience (including care partner perspectives), to build a powerful public narrative on how these diseases affect people and why urgent action is needed.

The two-day training aimed to familiarise participants with the NCD global policy landscape, the UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs (UN HLM) in New York on 27 September, and the advocacy opportunities therein. Group activities and personal reflections aimed to hone participants’ communication and advocacy skills to harness the power of their lived experiences to build an impactful public narrative on NCDs and mobilise their communities to call for change.

Discussions also served to formulate a menu of actions to advance the Advocacy Agenda of People Living with NCDs at all levels, and to prepare for the UN HLM. The training explored the concept and mechanisms of meaningful involvement of people living with NCDs and tools to support them as Voices of Change for NCD prevention and control.

Some workshop participants also had opportunities to present their powerful and impassioned stories and calls for action at various events on the margins of the 71st World Health Assembly. These strongly demonstrated the significance and centrality of the lived experience in tackling NCDs.

NCD Alliance is grateful to all the workshop participants for injecting their passion and creativity into the training sessions and generously sharing their personal experiences.