What I Learned from Co-Hosting the First International Day of Hope
And How It Can Supercharge Your Casemaking
The First International Day of Hope Happened on July 12, 2025 - Did you catch it?
Well, on July 12th, people around the world paused to do something remarkably courageous: to lift up hope. No, not the static kind, the activation kind!
If you know anything about me, my work at TheCaseMade, or my lifelong commitment to social justice, you know I’m inherently hopeful— optimistic, forward-looking, and deeply committed to the dignity and brilliance of people. All people. Even the ones causing a whole lot of havoc right now!
But here’s the thing: not everyone wakes up like that. Not everyone feels hopeful in the face of so much hardship. That’s why the first-ever International Day of Hope mattered so much to me. And clearly, I wasn’t alone.
Approved by UN resolution just this spring, millions of people around the world joined in. They planted trees. They gathered in living rooms and public parks. They held teach-ins and prayer circles. They lit candles. They organized against injustice, both in the U.S. and abroad. Their actions were symbolic, yes, but they were also strategic.
Hope, in and of itself, is not a strategy but…it is a precursor to it. It’s fuel. It’s how movements are made and sustained, no matter where in the world those movements originate or take place.
Coincidentally (or maybe not), the Day of Hope came just as I wrapped an interview with longtime organizer Michael Ansara, whose brilliant new book, The Hard Work of Hope, explores how hope lives at the center of all meaningful organizing. As Michael says:
“People don’t strategize or organize when they have no hope.”
This past weekend, I saw that truth in action. People showed up as an act of resistance and resilience.
My own family gathered with friends and colleagues online to reflect on what it means to cultivate hope — in our daily lives, our organizing work, and in the systems we’re trying to change.
And from that gathering, I walked away with three powerful reminders — lessons that are not only relevant for this moment, but also essential for anyone doing the tough work of CaseMaking and public will-building in our country today.
THE 3 BIG REFLECTIONS
1. Storytelling is Like Lighter Fluid When We’re Trying to Ignite Hope!
On our call, story after story poured in — from immigrant elders who carved out new paths in America, to young people pushing back against injustice right now. Some of the stories were funny, some of them were sad. But they weren’t for entertainment. They were evidence of the fact that we’ve been here before – in the injustice that we find ourselves sitting in today, and (perhaps more important), that we’ve overcome before.
The social science: As a social scientist, I can tell you that research backs up the importance of this kind of storytelling as an activator of hope. Personal storytelling activates the brain’s empathy networks, increasing emotional connection and readiness for action. According to a study published in the Scientific American, when a speaker tells a story and a listener attends, their neural activity becomes coupled, especially in regions tied to language comprehension and emotional processing, a hallmark of empathy activation. And there’s more - people who engage with authentic stories increase in empathy and are significantly more likely to take positive action as a result.
👉 The big reflection for my Fierce CaseMakers out there: If you want people to believe change is possible, tell them a story that reminds them it already is.
2. History Anchors Us and Propels Us Forward, If You Tell the Story Right!
Our gathering was rich with historical reflection. Not in a “back in my day” kind of way, but in a way that grounded people in purpose. Whether it was civil rights marches, immigration journeys, or anti-war protests, these stories served as receipts: for the strategies, tactics and lessons that are time-tested, battle-worn, and evergreen today – if we are willing to hear them and learn from them!
The social science: Okay, so the social scientist in me can’t help but deliver the evidence too. A meta-analysis of studies focused the power of storytelling, cultural identity, and resilience found that young people who know and understand their cultural or family history are more resilient, more hopeful, and more likely to act in the face of adversity. And at a moment when so many young people are being denied access to the history of activism and resistance, it is up to us to recast it for them. That’s why the gathering this weekend was so important. In the tradition of oral history, we got to share our histories as a foundation for the struggle of today!
👉 The reflection for my Fierce CaseMakers out there: Anchoring your case in history doesn’t weigh it down - just the opposite! That’s the part that gives it wings. But here’s the key - it only works if the history “lesson” is told as an active strategy, tactic, or reflection that is relevant to the issues we’re facing today, not as a “back in my day” rant.
3. We Are Always More Aspirational and Hopeful When We First Think of Those We Love
Almost every speaker on our call spoke of family and loved ones— their children, their parents, their teachers, their friends, even their ancestors. Hope is and was deeply personal. They were hoping not just for a better world, but a better world for the people they love. I will say a thousand times to anyone I meet - when you allow people to connect with the idea of those they love first and then, ask them about the world around them, you put them inside of their empathy! That helps us make the case for justice for all of us!
The social science: Okay, social science coming through again! Neuroscience confirms what we know in our bones: when people think about their families, they’re more likely to vote, volunteer, and stand up for justice. One study found that family-centered framing increased moral reasoning and future-oriented behavior across the board. In particular, when people reflect on close social bonds (e.g. family, friends), neural circuits for perspective-taking and moral reasoning are activated—and that activation predicts real-world helping behaviors.
👉 The Reflection for my Fierce CaseMakers out there: Want people to care? It’s super simple - connect the dots of what you’re making the care for, to the people they care about most.
A Day of Hope for You too?
If you missed it, don’t worry. Hope can’t be confined to a single day, a single event, or a single moment. Every day that you wake up, it’s renewable. It’s available every morning you open your eyes. And every time you choose to:
tell a powerful story that reminds us of what’s possible in this moment
enlist history to deepen the connection to our shared identity of resilience and cast it forward as a strategy into the future
help people connect to their empathy by reminding them of their loved ones and what they hope for their future.
Today could be your celebration of hope, even though the official International Day of Hope won’t come around for another 365 days.
And my hope for you is that it doesn’t take you that long to ignite the spark of hope in you!
Feeling the power of HOPE? Here's how you can plug in and keep it moving:
🧠Join our community of changemakers
🌍 Learn more about #InternationalDayOfHope
🎤Watch my convo with Michael Ansara on the Hard Work of Hope
📘 Grab my mom’s beautiful book Shaping Hope for soul food
🗳️ Organize with others working to strengthen our democracy