Suman Saurav

@sumansaurav.com

35 Followers 97 Following

Writes words for systemic change. Occasionally replies to text. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Strategic Comms by day, overthinking by night.🌀 🏳️‍🌈 Dalit, queer, neurodivergent. ✊🏾 If it needs to be loud, I’m on it. 📢 Talk to me about making advocacy talk! 📌 https://sumansaurav.com/

A torn grey paper background reveals an illustration of chained fists breaking free, holding a heart marked with a large red “X.” Above the image, the word “Shadowbanned?” appears in distressed red font. Below, yellow and white text reads: “Here’s How to Beat Instagram/META Censorship – 25 Tactics for Activists, Defenders, and Communicators.” In the bottom right corner, the credit reads: “By Suman Saurav.”
A graphic featuring a smiling person with long dark hair, wearing a blue patterned outfit, set against a soft pastel background with floral illustrations. A speech bubble with the word “Hello” is placed near their head. The bold black text on the right reads: “BOOK A STRATEGY CALL WITH ME” in all caps. Below, a nameplate states: “SUMAN SAURAV – Global Advocacy and Movement Communications Strategist and Storyteller.” At the bottom, a text box with a purple background contains the message: “This is a Pro Bono comms support invitation. Especially encouraging grassroots feminist, Dalit, queer, or climate justice groups and organizations with little to no comms budget to reach out for a no-cost strategy conversation.” White sparkles are placed near the text for a subtle decorative touch.
The image discusses how feminist advocacy has long recognized gender-washing (corporations using feminism for PR), and similarly, climate movements face "false solutions" that appear progressive but actually cause harm. Example: Carbon offsets allow corporations to continue polluting while claiming “net-zero.” Geoengineering is presented as "innovation" but carries significant unintended risks. Strategic Takeaway: Climate communicators must expose co-opted narratives and push for real solutions. The background image visually represents environmental contrast: one side shows cracked, dry land, while the other depicts lush greenery, symbolizing the tension between real and false climate solutions.
A young activist with a megaphone, speaking passionately, surrounded by green foliage. The bold white title reads: "Who Holds the Mic? Centering Frontline Voices." The text critiques how climate discourse is dominated by policymakers and corporations, sidelining grassroots activists, Indigenous communities, and Global South voices. The strategic takeaway calls for prioritizing those most affected in climate justice communications.
A small green plant growing inside a glass sphere, symbolizing resilience. The bold white title reads: "The Role of Hope vs. Fear in Climate Messaging." The text discusses how feminist advocacy often leans on hope-driven narratives, while climate communications must balance urgency (fear) with solutions (hope). The strategic takeaway emphasizes motivating action without causing paralysis.
A graphic featuring a red megaphone and a cut-out paper figure labeled “propaganda.” The bold white title reads: "The Misinformation Minefield." The text highlights how climate science is targeted by misinformation, more so than most feminist advocacy. Examples include fossil fuel-funded climate denialism and greenwashing. The strategic takeaway advises rigorous fact-checking and strategic counter-messaging.
A silhouetted image of hands raised in the air against a golden sky. The bold white title reads: "The Power & Pitfalls of Visual Storytelling." The text discusses how visual narratives can either mobilize action or reinforce harm. Examples include ethical concerns around disaster imagery and the importance of FPIC (Free, Prior, and Informed Consent). The strategic solution suggests centering collective resilience over individual suffering.
A close-up of a rusted, leaking water pipe, with hands reaching toward it. The bold white title reads: "Visualizing the Invisible Crisis." The text contrasts feminist advocacy, which highlights lived experiences, with climate advocacy, where impacts are often invisible until disaster strikes. The strategic takeaway encourages the use of storytelling and visuals to make climate crises tangible before they escalate.
A landscape with green and dry patches symbolizing environmental shifts. The bold white title reads: "The Urgency vs. Long-Term Solutions Dilemma." The text discusses how climate communication must balance immediate disaster responses with long-term systemic change. The strategic takeaway advises communicators to navigate short-term vs. long-term storytelling effectively.
A close-up of hands planting a small green sapling in soil. The title in bold white text reads: "Balancing Climate Finance & Feminist Advocacy Language." The text highlights how feminist movements reject corporate-driven models, while climate finance relies on technical frameworks. Examples compare feminist advocacy and climate finance language. The strategic takeaway calls for decolonizing climate finance language without losing funding access.
A close-up of hands from diverse individuals stacked together in unity. Bold white title: "The Stakeholder Spectrum is Wider." Text explains that climate communication must engage multiple stakeholders, from scientists to activists, while feminist campaigns may focus on more targeted groups. The strategic takeaway emphasizes shaping narratives that bridge silos while staying justice-aligned.
A background of Earth from space with a section breaking apart. Bold white title: "The Science-Advocacy Bridge." The text explains that climate advocacy must merge scientific rigor with movement messaging. Examples highlight different language needs for activists, policymakers, and funders. The strategic takeaway advises communicators to translate scientific concepts for diverse audiences without losing urgency or accuracy.
A digital collage-style graphic with bold white text reading "How Climate Communications Differ from Most Feminist Advocacy Communications." A subheading in smaller white text explains that climate advocacy is feminist advocacy but requires different communication approaches. A stylized hand holds a pocket watch with a butterfly perched on it, symbolizing time and transformation. Green question marks and abstract textures complete the background.
A background of people lying down with intertwined hands in warm tones. The title in pink reads: “Invest in Community & Relationships, Not Just Visibility.” The text contrasts an approach focused on social media metrics (marked with a red 'X') with one centered on deepening relationships (marked with a green check mark). An illustration of three women’s faces in a soft, sketch-like style is placed at the bottom.
A close-up image of stacked coins with a small green plant growing from them. The title in pink reads: “Build Fundraising Strategies That Center Collective Resilience Beyond Crisis Appeals.” The text advocates for long-term, solidarity-based funding instead of short-term crisis-driven appeals. A strategy tip at the bottom suggests diversifying revenue streams.
A background of people in a meeting discussing crisis response. Illustrated pink-gloved hands are placed over the image. The title in pink reads: “Have a Rapid Response Framework.” The text contrasts a reactive communication strategy (marked with a red 'X') with a proactive crisis messaging approach (marked with a green check mark). A checklist of key crisis response questions is listed.
A background of a meeting or workshop setting, overlaid with a black-and-white illustration of a microphone and a puppet. The title in pink reads: “Build Decentralized Storytelling Models.” The text advises against reliance on a single spokesperson and instead supports empowering communities to tell their own stories. A strategy tip at the bottom suggests offering media training and security protocols.
A background of activists posing with their arms crossed in an “X” gesture. The title in pink reads: “Create Multi-Layered Messaging for Different Audiences.” The text provides an example of how climate justice movements communicate differently with policymakers, grassroots communities, and the media. The image uses a red 'X' for a one-size-fits-all approach and a green check mark for adaptable messaging.
A protest scene in the background with a raised fist and a sign reading "Women." The title in pink reads: “Anticipate Political & Economic Shifts.” The text advises creating a “What If” scenario plan to prepare for funding and legal challenges. A puzzle piece illustration at the bottom emphasizes the strategy of mapping different possibilities.
A background image of a diverse group of people standing close together in warm-toned dresses. The title in pink reads: “Define What You Won’t Compromise On.” A black-and-white megaphone illustration is placed at the bottom. The text contrasts a reactive fundraising approach (marked with a red 'X') with a values-driven messaging strategy (marked with a green check mark).
A dark background with silhouetted people raising hands, overlaid with an illustration of three individuals wearing colorful skirts and boots walking forward. The title in pink reads: “Core Messaging Should Be a Compass, Not a Map.” The text advises against rigid messaging and suggests flexible, values-based communication. The left side shows an example of poor messaging with a red 'X,' while the right side presents an improved alternative with a green check mark.
A black-and-white background of a protest scene with people holding signs, overlaid with a digital illustration of a laptop with a megaphone on the screen. The megaphone emits pink sound waves. Two illustrated hands hold the laptop. The title reads: “How to Build a Communications Strategy That Adapts to Crisis & Uncertainty.” The bottom left features the logo "common insights" and credit "By Suman Saurav.
A crowd at a protest with people holding signs that read ‘Justice for Shukri’ and ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’. In the foreground, a person is holding a transgender pride flag. Text overlay reads: 'Trans-Led Groups Impacted by the Funding Freeze: We’re Offering Volunteer Support in Strategic Communications, Cybersecurity, Web Development, and More. Reach Out: info@sumansaurav.com.
A crowd at a protest with people holding signs that read ‘Justice for Shukri’ and ‘Black Trans Lives Matter’. In the foreground, a person is holding a transgender pride flag. Text overlay reads: 'Trans-Led Groups Impacted by the Funding Freeze: We’re Offering Volunteer Support in Strategic Communications, Cybersecurity, Web Development, and More. Reach Out: info@sumansaurav.com.
A smiling Marsha P. Johnson wearing a pink dress and a floral crown, holding a glass in her hand. The background features shelves with various items, and she radiates joy and pride. Credit: Marsha P. Johnson, Netflix.
A graphic with the title "Speak the Language of the Community". The slide shows a textured image of stones and emphasizes that while a story must resonate with stakeholders, it must also be simple and understandable for the community. It urges to never proceed without the community's final approval, ensuring the language used reflects their voice and needs.
A graphic that illustrates “Practice Active Listening – No Judgement, Just Presence”. It features a head with a dotted pattern, urging the storyteller to suspend judgment, maintain awareness of body language, and ask open-ended questions to allow the story to unfold naturally.
A graphic with the title “Create Physical and Emotional Safety”. The slide shows an image of a mouth, emphasizing that interviewees should feel physically safe and emotionally supported, with explanations of the process and readiness for interruptions.
A graphic that explains “Avoid Overloading with ‘Who, What, When, Where, How’ Questions”. The slide features an image of a silhouette with a fragmented head and highlights the need for sensory, emotional, and experiential questions instead of detail-seeking questions that could overload a trauma survivor.
A graphic with the title “Let the Community Guide the Story”. The slide shows a pair of hands pointing in different directions, suggesting that the community should lead the narrative, avoiding pre-set endings and focusing on truth, gravity, and meaningful impact.
A graphic that emphasizes “You Are a Conduit, Not a Creator”. It features an image of a vintage car, symbolizing the storyteller’s role as a vehicle for the community’s story, not the creator or owner of the narrative.
A graphic featuring the point “Prioritize First-Person Narratives”. The slide includes an image of a person shouting, urging that stories should be told in the community's own voice to ensure authenticity and integrity.
A graphic with the title “Safety First – Always”. The slide shows a bandage icon, emphasizing that physical and emotional safety should be prioritized, with a reminder that the storyteller’s responsibility is to pull back if the story compromises anyone’s safety.
A graphic highlighting “Consent is Key – Informed, Transparent, and Ongoing”. The slide features an image of a microphone and explains the importance of obtaining free, prior, and informed consent and ensuring transparency about the storytelling process.
A graphic that emphasizes the point “The Story Isn’t About Us – It’s About the Community”. The slide shows a megaphone icon and explains that data points aren’t the priority, but the community’s voice, needs, and perspective are what truly matter.
A graphic showing a collage of images with the title “Non-Extractive & Trauma-Informed Storytelling: A Brief Guide to Ethical, Impactful Narrative Drawing”. The background is made up of torn paper textures and colorful design elements.
A meme featuring two panels. The first panel shows the text ‘All other species’ with a person sitting on a couch. The second panel shows a person standing and asking, ‘Is there life elsewhere in the universe?’ with the text ‘Corporate greed and institutional complicity’ over their face. The meme is a humorous commentary on environmental issues.
A person standing and speaking into a microphone while holding a packet in their hand. They are wearing a white top and a green skirt, and are presenting to a seated audience in a conference room setting, with tables and chairs in the background.
A digital graphic detailing the session information for the ILGA Asia Conference 2025. The background is purple with a floral pattern, and the conference and Asia Pacific Transgender Network logos are at the top. The session facilitator, Nhuun Yodmuang, and speakers—Best Nithiwanna, Elyn Bhandari, Tama, and Enkhmaa Enkhbold—are listed in bold text. The session description explains the focus on rising anti-trans movements in Asia, aiming to create inclusive spaces for trans and gender-diverse activists. The session’s goals include informing participants about the current landscape, understanding its community impact, and developing strategies to counter these issues.
A digital graphic poster for the ILGA Asia Conference 2025, organized by the Asia Pacific Transgender Network. The background features a purple floral pattern. At the top, the conference logo and the Asia Pacific Transgender Network logo are displayed. The main visual shows an illustration of a diverse group of people facing a large transgender pride flag. The session title, “Unmask Organized Transphobic Attack: Understanding Anti-trans movements across Asia and our fightback,” is displayed in bold purple text on a white speech bubble-shaped overlay. Below, the event details state: "27th Feb 2025 | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM | Room: Megha."
A person holding a book titled No Bad Parts by Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, with a foreword by Alanis Morissette. The book cover features an abstract illustration of a face composed of overlapping organic shapes in orange, green, and beige tones. The subtitle reads, ‘Healing Trauma & Restoring Wholeness with The Internal Family Systems Model.’ The background consists of lush green foliage, a large tree trunk, and part of a roof, suggesting an outdoor setting with natural light filtering through the leaves.