Patrons

Baroness Valerie Amos

Master of University College, Oxford

 

“Delivering complex theoretical information in a medium that is not just understandable, but also builds empathy, is a difficult task. PositiveNegatives manages this through their interactive comics, embedded with contextual multimedia. They manage to tell the human stories behind the conflicts and refugee situations we see across the world. Bringing these topics into schools is important given the current socio-political climate. PosNeg Learning educational resources encourage students to engage with and learn about contemporary world events and human rights issues.”

Peter Bouckaert

Director, Emergencies for Human Rights Watch

 

“War, conflict and humanitarian crises are often bewilderingly complex, and the news we read and watch doesn’t always offer much enlightenment. The work of PositivesNegatives is brilliant in engaging us in better understanding some of the most pressing challenges of our time, bringing to life the experiences of those caught in the middle. For young students, these comics are a unique educational experience, offering true insights without condescension and without the ‘dumbing down’ we suffer from in so many other media.”

Liv Tørres

Director of the Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies at New York University's Center on International Cooperation

 

“Comics are powerful. Comics are art and journalism at the same time. They communicate at several levels and inspire our imagination. They tell us real life stories and make us hear the voices of unique individuals. But they also make it possible for us to hear the voices of the millions of individuals standing behind them. Comics can highlight topics, use satire, and point out subtle points. For children and youth around the world, comics are indeed the journalism of the classroom and the playroom alike. With their comics about the Sri Lankan civil war, the refugee crisis, the Syrian drama, trafficking, drug business and migration, PositiveNegatives have managed to communicate, inform and engage new groups. For that I salute them.”

Lyse Doucet

BBC Chief International Correspondent

 

“Never has there been a world with so much information. Never has there been so much misinformation and misunderstanding. PositiveNegatives strives to build understanding, and even more than that – empathy. Comics create compelling narratives which draw us in, and leave us with a greater awareness of global issues affecting all of us, no matter where or how we live. Comics shape many of my childhood memories. I still delight in their stark simple power to transform complex issues into memorable characters and human chronicles. And PositiveNegatives now uses new technologies that allow us to be part of this storytelling. It becomes our story too.”