Identifying Resonant Themes: From the Pain Come the Dream
THE CHALLENGE: To create thematic unity among dozens of disparate stories about human rights champions, first in a book on the Reebok Human Rights Award program, then in a complementary annual report for the Reebok Human Rights Award Foundation
THE SOLUTION: My search for a unifying element led me to the lyrics of a song that, in a mere five lines, illustrated the growing empowerment of human rights heroes: from the pain come the dream, from the dream come the vision, from the vision come the people, from the people come the power, from this power come the change. When I realized the song was written by a Reebok Human Rights Award Foundation board member—singer Peter Gabriel—I knew I had found the right, resonant approach. In the book, I crafted, for a range of official authors, essays to fit each lyric; in the annual report, I wrote profiles of five award recipients.
THE RESPONSE: The New York Public Library named From the Pain Come the Dream: The Recipients of the Reebok Human Rights Award to its recommended book list for teenagers.
