Storytelling for Social Cohesion

            If I had the opportunity to create an intensive storytelling workshop series for the public, I would like to focus my efforts on something that would be a boon to whole communities, rather than focusing on simple self-help. Though I do think that there are many self-focused narrative-crafting tools that are extremely healing and necessary, I think that our tendency in this capitalist culture is to locate the source of all of our problems squarely within ourselves. We are always discouraged from looking at the systemic causes of our alienated condition, and all the self-help in the world will not solve major forms of social and political oppression. 

            I would craft a series that blends both self-healing and community-healing forms of narrative. I would like to model my workshop series on the techniques and methods of a Palestinian-Israeli youth peace project called Seeds of Peace (https://www.seedsofpeace.org/.) I would work with a diverse group of people to collaboratively create a workshop series that encourages people from both privileged classes and minority groups to share their stories. I would want to teach them (and myself, heck!) how to talk about the difficult experiences they’ve had in their lives, particularly as a result of systemic oppression and social alienation, in such a way that their stories act as a bonding mechanism between them and the diverse audience. I would want to attract as many participants from as many different backgrounds as possible so that those who experience the same kinds of marginalization as the speaker can feel seen and heard, and so that those who are privileged and do not experience that kind of oppression can begin to develop a compassionate view of people who are different than they are. 

            I’ve been thinking an awful lot about how desperately the world needs to develop compassion and an ethic of care towards those who are demonized by our media and politicians and marginalized by society. It seems like the fierce, frothing, intractable sectarianism cannot be overcome by reasoned, logical arguments. Facts do not sway the reptilian parts of our brains which prioritize safety and instinctively despise difference. The only thing I have ever consistently seen that works to bring people together who have been conditioned to hate each other is getting to know one another on a personal level. The stories we tell about our suffering (and joy), no matter how different, often inspire a sense of “me, too.” If we can find a way to give people the tools they need to craft their own stories into compelling, touching narratives, and if we can get enough people together in one place over a period of time to hear these narratives and spend time with the people who tell them, I think that would be a very good start at changing the way we see difference. 

            The delivery of these narratives could vary tremendously, though I think that it is vital for the storytellers to be heard, especially seen and heard, because I think this kind of presentation is much more humanizing than simple text. Ideal vehicles for this kind of storytelling would be in-person workshops, video streaming, or podcasting. I think my ideal would be in-person workshops simply because communication is much faster, much more multi-directional, and because the roles of storyteller and listener can switch, change, and adapt much more easily. 

           Of course, it must be said that no one ought to be forced, coerced, or otherwise persuaded to tell their stories, particularly those of suffering brought on by systemic oppression. Participants in this workshop must know ahead of time what the goal of this project is and only those who have resolved to do this kind of work will be asked to participate. I would like to make sure that there is a large presence of counselors, mediators, and other trained professionals to help navigate any extreme negative emotions that may surface during the course of the series so that no one is left traumatized by the experience. I would also ask those counselors, etc. to mediate the inevitably difficult discussions that may arise between diverse peoples should things get heated. 

           The desired outcome of a workshop series like this would be to bring together a group of people from diverse backgrounds for some real, life-changing, eye-opening experiences and bonding. I would hope that participants could learn and begin to apply the tools of narrative construction to continue telling their stories and to continue to seek out the stories of those different from them. This kind of workshop also has the potential to lay groundwork for organizational networking and collaboration, particularly between grassroots organizations in the area of political and social justice.