#justB: Real People Sharing Their Hepatitis B Stories
The #justB storytelling is a U.S.-based campaign that aims to raise the profile of hepatitis B as an urgent public health priority and helps put a human face on this serious disease by sharing stories of real people living with or affected by hepatitis B. The goals of the campaign are to increase awareness and advocacy; decrease stigma and discrimination; and promote testing, vaccination, linkage to care, and treatment to help save lives. The #justB storytelling campaign is a program of the Hepatitis B Foundation in collaboration with StoryCenter and AAPCHO.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The #justB campaign empowers people with lived experience to share their story and use their voice to help increase awareness and advocacy around hepatitis B, combat stigma and discrimination, and encourage more people to get tested, vaccinated, and/or linked to care and treatment. Beginning in 2017, the Hepatitis B Foundation has partnered with StoryCenter to host #justB digital storytelling workshops for over 41 participants from across 22 states in the U.S. and Canada. The #justB campaign includes stories that have been translated and published in 13 languages in addition to English – Mandarin, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Korean, Arabic, French, Mandingo, Twi, Yoruba, Tagalog, Khmer, Mongolian, and Chuukese.
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Over the years since the initial launch of #justB, we have seen just how powerful storytelling is, and how personal stories can be used to promote greater awareness, openness, and discussion around an often stigmatized disease like hepatitis B. We have also learned that the process of storytelling – and participation in storytelling workshops – has a positive and lasting impact on storytellers themselves.
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To apply for #justB workshop, visit: https://storycenter.wufoo.com/forms/zyu5qsb02lscca/
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Attending a #justB digital storytelling workshop is a unique and uplifting experience that brings together people directly affected by hepatitis B in a supportive, small group environment (no more than 10 participants), where they can feel free to share openly about their experiences while learning to create short videos or “digital stories” in their own words. During the workshops, participants are guided through a “Story Circle” activity, receive feedback on selecting specific parts of their story to develop their script around, record a voiceover, gather photos and video clips, and combine these materials into short videos around 3-4 minutes long. After the workshops, participants become part of a growing community of more than 40 other storytellers who receive ongoing communications, resources, and opportunities to stay connected and engaged in hepatitis B advocacy and education.
Learn more about the #justB and BtheVoice program.