Strategic storytelling and social innovation

An inequitable social system is inevitably accompanied by social polarization. The pressures of associated economic and social disparities profoundly affect cultural diversity, as cultures tell themselves defining stories of either privilege or deprivation. Conditions affecting the mental health of society’s members follow these respective confining definitions.

The stories we tell about ourselves about ourselves can be restraining or liberating. 1 How can an alternate story challenge communities to stretch beyond the limits of what they unquestioningly accept, so as to let emerge a new and liberating consciousness?

Stories had communal efficacy in tribal societies. Tribal cultures were unified by (and found identity in) the telling of and listening to stories. (Perhaps the limits of individualization are becoming more and more embarrassingly obvious to some, who may start to think of a return to a revised sort of tribalism as a viable social option for today.)

Communal story telling has potential to intimately affect families, thereby conditioning their mental health. In our modern society, there are two main forums for the kind of communal story telling in which families find meaning: school and church. (The Internet is addressing the need for community for many: it remains to be seen whether it can have efficacy beyond association and information sharing.) Of the two, the stronger potential of reaching families in a liberating way resides with the church, where there is greater opportunity for countercultural expression. Some pastors, however, would find partnership difficult and most would be uncomfortable not only in the role of storyteller but also in exploring unknown and (socially and politically) forbidden regions.

Albert Nolan, in his book “Jesus Before Christianity” describes the power of an alternative way of understanding in the healing of the mental illness. In Jesus’ time, the “mental illness” of the poor and outcast – which included a whole class of marginalized in Jewish society – is described as a response to their situation of exclusion and oppression. Jesus was able to affect healing not by any power he brought to the suffering person, but by an infectious faith that evoked faith and hope in the recipient and the community. In other words, he told an alternate story of a loving and compassionate God whose embrace especially extended to the poor and oppressed. A prophet and a man of God now accept a people who had previously accepted their fate as permanently outcast from respectable society and, in their understanding, thereby from God’s love.

Those who truly serve uniquely are positioned to help individuals or families arrive at new stories of hope and uncover heretofore hidden strength, potential and resources.

Jim_erick,

You touch on an interesting tension related to the role of stories in culture. Stories are the prima materia of identity, culture, and social order. Every relationship, every experience, and every object - is stored in the mind with a story attached to it. Cognitive science supports this with extensive research on the mechanisms of narrative and sense-making.

So, on the one hand we are completely lost and direction-less without our ability to construct, organize, and remember stories. We need stories in order to know who we are and where we are going.

Yet on the other hand, consider how quickly we can become enslaved to the stories that we inherit

from our parents, school, religion, society, and our organizational peers. It may be a story about our self-worth or about acceptable behavior/risk. These stories serve an important purpose - they set boundaries and create a sense of order. These same stories also impose limits on what is ultimately possible, leading to a self-defeating pattern that keeps individuals and organizations stuck from moving forward.

This is the stormy realm that social entrepreneurs are swimming in: trying to shift the existing status quo stories about identity and culture into new realms of possibility. The need for such shifts are especially relevant today, since many of the traditional stories that we have inherited from school, religion, and society no longer withstand the demands of today's complex and evolving world.

That's where introducing and legitimizing a new cultural story can be so powerful. Kaboom is a great example of a social enterprise that is working to shift the culture of play across the United States through the creation of communal playgrounds. CityYear is another great example of an organization that promotes a new model of citizenship and public service that breaks down traditional ethnic and class boundaries. SmartMeme is a third example - in this case, a network of communicators that work with community activists to improve story campaigns and their ability to resonate across the culture.

What's the larger cultural story you're trying to shift?

Jim,

I can think of one area where cultural shift is needed; it is the undervaluation of older workers. We are not under-utilizing an irreplaceable human reource and we are ignoring the disstress of our ageing workforce.

In recent decades the number of workers in low-skilled labour has shrunk dramatically (Kossen, 2002. p 3) and this has caused widespread retrenchments of older workers. (There has been a huge decline in manufacturing jobs suitable for workers without trade skills or any academic qualifications or professional training; textiles, clothing and footwear have suffered most and there are now 46,000 jobs in this sector Australia-wide, a slump of 63 per cent since 1984 according to "The Age" newspaper, 2007).

Strange to say even though we have an ageing population the age of people who are perceived to be "older workers" has fallen. Not that long ago it was 64 and over (as witnessed by the Beatles song "When I'm 64") but nowadays workers aged over 45 are defined as "older workers" (ibid, p 5). In those days the most used term for older people was "pensioners" (i.e. people over 65) but these days it is "senior citizens" (i.e. people aged over 55).

The saying used to be "life begins at 40" but now people over 40 are regarded as being near the end of their useful working lives (according to the "European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions", 1997; as quoted by Kossen, 2002).

The fall in numbers of older workers has been particularly dramatic in Australia where the employment rate for 55-64 year old men fell from 80% in 1968 to 50% in 1989 (ibid, p 4). It has got to the point that a staggering 1 in 3 of all Australians in the 45 to 64 year-old age group is unemployed (Encel, 2003, p 2) and to make matters worse the duration of unemployment for people aged over 55 tends to be about double the duration for the total population; in 1993 it was over two years (ibid, table 6, p 16).

The numbers of males aged over 55 in paid employment has declined dramatically in recent years; their "labour force participation rate" fell from 90% in 1966 to 75% in 1996 (O'Brien, 2004, figure 1, p 2). Some of these workers retired as the percentage "Not In the Labour Force" (NILF) increased from 10% in 1972 to around 30% in the early nineties. However, this cannot be the whole story as the percentage of these workers "55 plus" males receiving social security payments doubled from less than 5% in 1972 to over 10% in 1997.

Kossen has suggested that many of the problems associated with an ageing workforce are due to a lack of suitable training programs (Kossen, 2002. p 7) and this is because of the doubts employers have about the capabilities of older workers and the perception that "older workers" are not suitable for retraining (which he terms the "The Reduced Productivity Myth", ibid, p 9). This is ironic in view of the fact that there is convincing evidence that; the baby boomers are ageing more slowly than previous generations and the brains of mentally active middle-aged have the ability to continue to increase their efficiency until quite late in life.

Well enough of the doom and gloom, there is some good news. Kossen says that Australian studies have shown that compared to young workers older workers have lower rates of absenteeism and fewer accidents (ibid, p 10). They also excel with regard to loyalty and experience. They are also better at dealing with older customers (ibid, p 11).

It turns out that in some areas where the shortage of skilled staff can be critical (such as engineering) it is actually substantially cheaper to retrain the older workers than it is to hire new graduates (Mor-Barak and Tynan, 1993; as quoted by Kossen, 2002). Hence many "organizational rationalizations" and downsizing exercises are in reality "economically irrational".

Better still, when the baby boomers start to leave workforce in substantial numbers (which will be fairly soon) there will be a dramatic worsening in the skill shortage. According to a recent publication called "Coming ready or not!: Australia's shrinking workforce" (DFEEST, 2004) this is likely to occur in 2011.

What we really need now is someone to fund more research to convincing evidence on the feasiblity of retraining older workers who are over forty five and preferably those in their fifities and early sixties who are just below pension age as well.

Regards,

David McFarlane MAppSc (Ergonomics) Ergonomist, WorkCover NSW

References

1. C. Kossen, (2002), "Rethinking the value of Older Workers; a resource growing in importance", [USQ]. Link; http://www.opsme.qld.gov.au/library/docs/resources/publications/Retention/Ageing_AGuide_13.EndnotesRefs.pdf
2. "The Age", (2007), "Another manufacturing business bites the dust", Sept 21 2007. Link; http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2007/08/31/1188067368000.html
3. S. Encel (Social Policy Research Centre UNSW), (2003), "Age Can Work; The case for older Australians staying in the workforce." Link; http://www.plus40.com.au/uploaded/AgeCanWork.pdf
4. M. O'Brien, (2004), "Hidden Unemployment and Older Male Workers", University of Wollongong Economics Working Papers WP 04-02. Link; http://ideas.repec.org/p/uow/depec1/wp04-02.html
5. Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, South Australia, (2004), "Coming ready or not!: Australia's shrinking workforce." See graph on page 3; http://www.valuingolderworkers.gov.au/Brochures/opportunity_knocks.htm

Disclaimer

Any recommendation concerning the use or representation of a particular brand of product in this document or any mention of them whatsoever (whether this appears in the text, illustrations, photographs or in any other form) is not to be taken to imply that WorkCover NSW approves or endorses the product or the brand.

It is a very thought provoking observation but I would like to present a point of view for your kind consideration. I am a senior citizen who is 62 years YOUNG I have a team of young people who seemed totally lost in the river of life. Unemployed and looked down they were desperate. i had the good fortune of meeting them accidentally which changed my views of life and theirs as well. Senior citizens like us should form a global consortium to provide knowledge gained by us to the young people worldwide. Eamples - Teaching English - spoken & written communications, Computer operations etc., and many more. Suddenly one might find that the entire army of senior citizens are running short going by the needs of the present day world. We are trying out a concept of building a global village for senior citizens worldwide who could be looked after and also look after the unwanted child, the young looking for directions in life - without depending on Charity to survive - ause we will be earning till our very last breath

Thanks

SBR

Two things come to mind:

1) Every audience is going to find a different type of story compelling. For example, stories about accounting are going to be compelling to accountants, but not so compelling to others. So, in this instance, if you are not an accountant, don't decide on your own if a story is good or not... ask an account. :-)

2) Stories need to ring true and be genuine. Don't change the story.

Kevin - you are totally right. In order to tell a great story, you have to know your audience. The self-regulating power of storytelling is that you audience is the ultimate judge of whether the story resonates/works or not. None of us can control how people feel, think, or behave...all we can do as leaders is craft an environment that helps to influence how others feel, think or behave. By telling a story you are inviting your audience into your world-view, and hopefully they feel comfortable and familiar inside the picture you are painting. But it begins by getting to know the people you are trying to reach and influence - and listening to their stated and hidden motivations.

Audiences aside, you should also focus on telling a story that speaks to a higher truth. That is, there are certain universal needs/wants/desires that cut across demographic, profession, or social class. The market research firm Cheskin has studied thousands of consumers across the world, and determined 15 types of meaningful experiences that inform the human condition. These basic motivations include Achievement, Community, Duty, Freedom, Truth, and Validation. For more on this visit http://www.makingmeaning.org. Review their list and determine which three types of meaning lay at the heart of your story.

I had a question about the subject, of capital punishment. Is this a subject were the American public tend to look the other way when it comes to executions in the U.S? Is this a dark subject unlike famine, physical and sexual abuse or even injustice in our community due to racial violence. If not, my question remains after a screening at a film festival held in Hollywood, CA.

Does the death penalty represent legal justice or an antiquated and immoral institution? Whatever one's opinion, the death penalty has been one of the most debated legal and moral issues of the past generation.

The death penalty took the stage at Tulane on Tuesday (April 10) as the Tulane University Criminal Law Society hosted both the world premiere of the gritty film "Execution" and a death penalty forum.

The program, which was free and open to the general public, took place at 7 p.m. at McAlister Auditorium. Only those over the age of 17 were admitted due to the graphic nature of the film and discussion.

"Execution," produced and directed by New Orleans native Steven Scaffidi of Ghost Rider Pictures, has captured a lot of advance publicity. It is the story-within-a-story of two filmmakers who are making a documentary about life in prison. As the story unfolds, they begin focusing their film on one death-row inmate and his pending execution, including the step-by-step process of how the execution is carried out. A subplot parallels the feelings of both the condemned man and the prison warden.

The film stars a real death-row inmate, warden and priest playing their respective roles.

Following the screening, there was a panel discussion and audience question-and-answer session featuring three men who have experienced death row and capital punishment from different perspectives

William Neal Moore, Donald Cabana and the Rev. Joel LaBauve.

Moore was on Georgia's death row for 16 years after confessing to capital murder and was only seven hours away from execution before a stay was issued. He was freed as a result of the efforts of his victim's family.

In some cases I think eyebrows are raised then it is all forgotten, until the next execution that gains national attention.

Warmest regards,

Ramiro Flores

I think the biggest challenge in strategic storytelling is in shifting mindsets. The most important story that we should try to shift is the culture of individualism. In redefining ourselves as we evolve in consciousness, storytelling is a simple way to put new ideas into the world today. I checked out makingmeaning.org, and it occurred to me that in attempting to capture what drives us, oneness, freedom and justice need to be more than capitalistic goals or status identification in product driven enterprises. I agree with Jim that we move in tribes and that stories can let a new consciousness emerge.

JDavidson, you are spot on! We live in an age where value systems and worldviews are colliding, and we all struggle to make sense and meaning of this global mash-up. It does require shifting mindsets and consciousness. Along those lines, I look at our society's commercial/capitalistic instincts in a more value-neutral fashion. I've actually launched a blog on the topic called PopAnthropology - http://www.popanthropology.com, with a focus on the business of culture creation. In order to shift any culture, one must first come to appreciate how it works. Today, consumption is the dominant force on earth - which means in both positive and insidious ways, capitalism is shaping our larger society/culture/social contract. In my opinion, the solution is not to reject the system, but rather to leverage the platform/system towards more sustainable and beneficial results. And in terms of tribal identities, no better lessons to be learned then from passionate brand aficionados - whether those be Harley Davidson riders, Apple computer users, or CityYear Corps members. Everyone is seeking a sense of connection and affinity to like minded people. Its a great test for your story - how are you inviting people to join the conversation...and does your brand story allow room for people's self-expression? The balance of individualism and the collective will continue to remain in creative tension.

I find it interesting to note that much of the commentary so far has done the opposite of what is being suggested...that is, leveraging good storytelling. I read alot of statistics and intellectual arguments around age discrimination, capital punishment, etc. I don't know about the rest of you, but I am simple not moved by this. The power of a good story is that it can take facts and and figures and make them real in a way that speaks directly to our emotional selves. Our emotional selves respond more than our intellectual selves ever will...hence the power of good storytelling!

Let me walk the talk...the other night after some serious horesplay and just before settling down to bedtime my 4 year old daughter pulled me aside with a very serious look in her eye. I wondered if I had done something wrong, something inadvertant that offended her. She pulled my ear down to her tiny mouth and whispered, "Daddy, you are my best friend, ever!", and then proceeded to hug me for a long, long time. I have been on cloud nine ever since...

Not to trivialize the importance of the other issues already raised, but in my experience serious issues become less real and important when they ignore the stories behind them.

Speaking of good stories and how to tell them in a way that people understand, I recommend "Made to Stick" by Chip Heath. You can also check out Chip's podcast on "what makes ideas stick" at http://sic.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3178.html

Even better, check out Andy Goodman's podcast "Storytelling for Good Causes": http://sic.conversationsnetwork.org/shows/detail3170.html. You WON'T be dissappointed...because he's a great storyteller!

Paul - thanks for putting forth this great observation. Telling actual stories in the form of anecdotes and vignettes really does matter and helps to bring an idea or message to life.

A short story sure beats a long list of statistics. Quoting Andy Goodman, who you recommend in your post, he likes to say, "Numbers numb, jargon jars, and nobody ever marched on Washington because of a pie chart." Give people a real example of something that happened, and your message will often come through with greater clarity and emotion. Just imagine if Martin Luther King had said, " I have a...powerpoint to show you that details my research findings that supports growing inequalities of race and class in our country..." You get the picture. ;-)

Now - It's important to distinguish "Telling a Story" from "Strategic Storytelling". This discussion is really about the later - which means using the principles of narrative to improve organizational performance and innovation. You can look at many management functions, from branding to marketing to fundraising to outcomes measurement - and apply the lessons of storytelling to enhance your impact. This practice goes by several names - strategic storytelling, applied storytelling, narrative management, and organizational storytelling to name just a few.

Speaking of books, Made to Stick is a fantastic read. People might also appreciate the compendium on strategic storytelling called "Wake Me Up When the Data is Over: How Organizations Use Stories to Drive Results" - I contributed a chapter about the use of stories in difficult times. Each chapter focuses on a different management discipline, and uses real life examples from leading organizations.

Just this week, I just started reading the recently published "What's Your Story: Storytelling to Move Markets, Audiences, People, and Brands" by the futurists Ryan Mathews and Watts Wacker, which does one of the best jobs of framing the larger and interconnected dimensions of narrative in the realm of business and organizations. There are more than a dozen excellent books on these areas of strategic storytelling. For reviews and profiles, visit this link - http://www.thirsty-fish.com/bookshelf/

I hope others will share some of their favorite books and resources are on this topic.

This has been a wonderful, if somewhat esoteric discussion of the power of story. While I have enjoyed it, I want to share a storyteller's view.

As a life-long poet and storyteller who uses my art for social activism, I have seen how poetry with its metaphors and storytelling with its implied parables can impact people without "hitting them over the head" with the message. It is true: metaphor has a magic ability to allow us to tell the truth, but, as Emily Dickinson put it, "to tell it slant." In fact, in contrast to data, stories/metaphors open up the listeners' minds but also their hearts and souls, the places where real change happens!

With children and adults in many different settings, I use both original poems and stories, true anecdotes and traditional narratives to lead audiences to that moment when recognition is so acute we don't know whether to laugh or cry. Then, disarmed, we can talk about what really matters. More about my work can be found at my website and blog, InSpiritry.com.

As a gift to those of you who use story so powerfully, let me share just one of the many stories I use from the oral tradition:

One day, Truth came to town. She walked up and down the streets in all her naked beauty. Shocked by what they saw, some villagers turned their heads. Others were embarrassed to be with the Truth. Some burst into tears and rushed inside. Still others grew angry with the brazen hussy and wanted Truth run out of town. No one would listen to the wisdom she had to share. Knowing the importance of her message and wanting to reach the people somehow, Truth left the village to consider what to do. The next morning, she returned. This time, she was dressed in the colorful gown of Story. Seeing her now, everyone young and old gathered round to hear what she had to say.

Let we, who have wonderful gowns of stories, dress and go out into the world to open hearts!

Anne: Beautiful...thanks for sharing and for putting things in perspective so well!!!

Paul

Story is so powerful it can override people’s personal observations and dictate the behavior of nations. Joseph Campbell has said that the behavior of every society is determined primarily by the underlying mythology of that culture.

It’s no wonder no wonder the public failed to see that the emperor had no clothes in Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale – the story that emperors dress in the finest garb was so strong that people discounted what they saw with their own eyes. A scientific study reported on in the New York Times demonstrated that popular beliefs and stories can actually override people’s personal visual observations. Through MRI and brain scans, researchers determined that people who go along with the popular myth even when it contradicts personal observation show no physiological evidence of lying! Almost half those studied actually believed the popularly-accepted fiction over what they were seeing in front of their eyes.

If we want to change the behavior of our society, we can’t just argue facts and figures. We have to change the story. In our culture, that means creating new stories in movies and television, the most visceral storytellers of our times.

Perhaps the most destructive story we have in most of the world’s cultures is the Myth of the Hero with the Big Gun. We’ve seen it over and over: The “fair damsel” is going about her life until the forces of evil place her in distress. Along comes the “hero,” who tries to bravely endure the abuse, but finally can’t take it anymore. Despite overwhelming odds, he blows away the bad guys, achieves a victory that puts the good guys in charge and rides off into the sunset with the girl.

It doesn’t matter whether the evil ones are “savages,” space aliens or Saddam Hussein or President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. It doesn’t matter whether the “fair damsels” are hobbits or nerdy boys or Kurds or Israeli’s. The “hero” can be male, female, animal, robot, or military – it doesn’t mater. The characters are interchangeable – it is the basic story that stays the same.

But does it really work? Can you think of an incident in your own life when you used violence, blew away the bad guys and it solved the problem? My organization Future WAVE (Working for Alternatives to Violence through Entertainment) has worked with young people in detention centers who fell for this myth, but instead of ending up heroes they ended up in jail and their friends in the grave.

Let’s look at how effective the Big Gun has been in the real world:  The two greatest superpowers, the old USSR and the US, tried for years to defeat tribesmen in tiny Afghanistan. They both failed.  The US, with military spending practically equal to the entire rest of the world combined, cannot defeat insurgents in little Iraq years after declaring “victory.”  Despite dropping more bomb tonnage on Vietnam than was dropped in World War II, the world’s greatest superpower could not defeat rebels in Vietnam.  In the Middle East, each act of violence brings greater retaliation. When violence fails, each side applies more as if, somehow, that would finally teach the other side a lesson and solve the problem – but it never does.  Around the world colonial powers tried to defeat vastly weaker tribesmen and peasants throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, and always failed.

Could it be that military “power” isn’t really all it’s cracked up to be? Does war really work? And if it fails, are we so convinced by the story that we think we’re just not doing it well enough? So we try killing more and more, spending bigger and bigger bucks, inventing more and more destructive weapons – without ever stopping to think that maybe it’s the very war system itself that is failing?

If we are able to open our eyes and look beyond that mythical story that has us all mesmirized, we’ll see that “military power” is a weak force. The “strong force” is what we might call nonviolent people power which:

Propelled Nelson Mandela from Prison to Presidency ien South Africa, bringing down one of the most powerful racist regimes on the planet. -- Overthrew the Philippine dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. -- Overthrew the Milosevic dictatorship and stopped the “ethnic cleansing” in Serbia – a task that 78 days of non-stop NATO bombing failed to do. -- Prevented the race conflict and lynchings in the 1950’s from escalating into the same kind of "ethnic cleansing" and wars we’ve seen abroad. -- Overturned the fraudulent Ukrainian election in an “orange revolution”. -- Defeated the powerful Soviet Empire, swept away Communist regimes in Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary, and brought down the Berlin Wall, a feat that 30,000 US nuclear weapons and 30 years of military threats had failed to achieve. -- Threw off the colonial yoke in India, resisted Nazis in Denmark, and toppled dictators around the world, proving that it is indeed a more powerful than violence.

Nonviolent People Power movements achieved their objectives with little training, equipment or money. Yet this force receives surprisingly little public attention (with the exception of the PBS series – A Force More Powerful. (http://www.aforcemorepowerful.org/).

One reason for the neglect is that this strong force is so outside our prevailing cultural mythology that we have yet to develop a good term for it. We describe it by what it is not – “non-violence.” See my article The Myth of the Hero with the Big Gun: http://www.medialit.org/reading_room/article460.html

If we want humankind to survive, we need to start telling new kinds of stories with new kinds of heroes who use more powerful tools than violence.

I believe there's an important distinction to be made between "story at the service of business" and "business at the service of story", and that in a funny, not yet quite articulate way, that's precisely the difference between entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs.

Let me try to explain that connection as I am beginning to see it.

All entrepreneurs can make stories of the obstacles they face and the ways in which they hopefully surmount them, but social entrepreneurs in addition have purposes that engage the human heart far more deeply than the bottom line ever will. So we actually have the best stories, and should be the best at telling them, and can also gain the most benefit from them, and will have (again hopefully) the richest sincerity in telling them, since we care so passionately about them.

Wow.

A story traces the route of an aspiration via obstacles towards its realization, eh? And there's no aspiration without a human aspirer, and no story without an audience who wish their aspirations more frequently became real, and which will follow with bated breath the progress of the aspirations of others.

*

Joseph Campbell once said that the great myth of the Americas was the story the Navaho tell under the title "Where the Two Came to Their Father" in which there are twin heroes called Monster Slayer and Child Born of Water. Monster Slayer has precisely the style of aggressive heroism that gives us so many war movies and business heroes, he goes in and gets the job done, not necessarily by force or arms but by force of will, directly applied. Child Born of Water, as befits his name, has a very different approach.

Without wishing to confuse the very subtle Navaho cosmology with Taoism, perhaps I can say that Lao-Tse's description of water as so subtle that it wears down the toughest rock captures something of the same sense. Child Born of Water finds a way, where Monster Slayer pushes through, and there are times when Monster Slayer cannot succeed and it is Child Born of Water whose strategy proves successful.

The myth belongs to many of the cultures in the Americas, and Manuel Puig's brilliant novel, which became a brilliant film, Kiss of the Spider Woman, is another telling of the same basic story, with the same pair of hero twins.

Perhaps we could say, again loosely, without tying this to Navaho culture or Puig's telling of the tale, that straightforward, practical, aggressive problem-solving is a variant on the Monster Slayer approach, and that eirenic, non-violent, patient, dialogic methods lie in the province of Child Born of Water.

We are up to our eyeballs in Monster Slayer at the moment, as a culture, and perhaps it is time for a shift of emphasis to the subtle methods and empathic insights of Child Born of Water.

Thanks, Arthur, thanks, Michael, thanks to the story tellers, thanks to all who have contributed here.

Arthur,

Thanks for your amazing work and deep cultural reflection. The mythic story of war and the strong man is a fascinating one. Why is it that across almost every culture on earth, this mythic force shows up through conflict (often male induced), and the hero stories to support this behavior?

Perhaps, war and conflict are natural human impulses, just the same as hope, desire, greed, compassion, betrayal, etc...This story will not just disappear by "banning" its depiction on TV, or introducing a more positive counter-story.

It seems to me that only way to shift the story and meme of war, would be to get the root of the matter

FEAR. Why do tribes in the jungle of Borneo fight amongst one another, or why do major nations enter in major global conflicts? Or why we see violence in our neighborhood? As a primary emotion, FEAR, is often driven by a sense of lack - whether that be food, money, security, or just simply self-esteem. Just consider what is the driving force of our war on terrorism, or in past year's the cold war. FEAR. In today's complex times, such FEAR seems sadly on the rise. Instead of facing one's personal fears, we all tend to lash out on to those around us. Unfortunately, for some that lashing out is more violent and destructive than for others.

So how might go about using stories to neutralize our culture of FEAR? One project started in the UK, and spreading around the world, focuses on the process of forgiveness for those that have been affected by major conflict/violence. Here's a story-driven approach focused on conquering the FEAR that paralyzes people from living life. http://www.theforgivenessproject.com/

It's obvious the way to cure world hunger is for the governments of developed nations to disarm their military budgets and find a way to broker a peace deal, that would then open up the kind of money needed to meet this challenge. The only real weapon of mass destruction is indifference- " I'm ok, why should I care? which then leads to a culture of fear. " If I give something away will I lose something in return"? - once again the culture of individualism is at fault, we can't see past our own needs. It's really disturbing that John Howard in the last APEC was discussing nuclear power as an alterative to global warming while at the same time spending hundred's of millions on a satelite defence system, that kind of thinking is going to fuel the doomsday senerio. Right now the only thing that comes to mind is a quote by Jimi Hendrix - "When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace."

Sorry Michael for going off track from storytelling, but checked out your popanthropology page, it's great!

Smartmeme (www.smartmeme.org and www.changingthestory.org) is a great organization to check out concerning the power of storytelling to reframe debates.

Thanks kramedog! Yes, the folks at smartmeme are friend of mine that I admire greatly. They have lots of experience developing grassroots and activist campaigns designed to reframe debates. Their work spans issues including the environment, war, and economic justice.

Friends,

After real long gap, entered again to socialedge's discussion forum.

This subject is close to my heart.

I have to read what is being said and Iam sure I have something to say and learn a lot.

-surya prakash vinjamuri.

Hi Surya,

Thanks for joining the conversation. Do tell us a little more about yourself and your passion for strategic storytelling.

Michael

As we grow we realize what we learned is not enough We have one option to do what we believ in,

When we see response from unknown quarters It means we are on our track,

And we do get feedback and firm positions on what we do from known we have chance for dialogue & from unknown we have space for reflections,

I see challange is if we are able to communicate to unknown Have energy to convince or change

Michael the following lines came in response to what Iam doing

In my effort to grow I created a base called Life-Health reinforcement Group, defined areas of work -FOOD,HEALTH & LIFE and developed methods of increasing access to FOOD and delivering health services and initiating dialogue on Life.

All these with a conviction that you have responsibility to the society you represent and making society organize to serve itself.

In this journey we have necessary questions and unnessary situations.

You need to face situations and answer questions and move with what you believe in.

What are the old stories that we need to let go of, re-invent, and learn from to create the new stories of NOW that will move us forward into the world we want to, and are currently, creating?

We are the stories we tell. There is a First Nations saying that you can only tell your story 3 times, then it is old. You need to change it.

The language and lexicon of the mainstream media and culture and the dominant stories in the so-called “news” crush imagination and possibility and negate what is actually going on in the deep layers of communities, across networks and in the hearts of people around the world. In my travels and in my work in community, I have witnessed extraordinary acts of courage in communities, within organizations and by individuals that are a lifetime of commitment, not a heroic moment of glory. And the story is about courage, change, connection, commitment and the diversity of lenses through which we can see and experience our life, the collective, this earth, this time, all time.

So my offering here is a story that i wrote.

There is a story of a place, and a people, who lived their Stories. These were the stories of their ancestors, of the land, of the knowledge and wisdom of their hearts across time, and of their spirits in communion with each other and with the universe.

Everyday they touched the earth and breathed the sky, and they looked each other in the eyes with clarity, inquiry and compassion. They shared their sadness, sorrows and pain with hearts wide open; they laughed their joys, hopes and love with arms spread in invitation. In harsh sun through cruel snow, in the cry of a new life and the cycle of the seasons, in the peace of morning and the sigh of evening, this place and these people gave thanks for the mystery of the unfolding of every day, every moment. And they shared it, always, in Story.

One day, there came a comet, its mass of ice and dust, crushing their homes and burning their plants and gardens. It had arrived, unannounced, a force of devastation. After ashes and tears and shock and alarm, the people moved toward the comet with curiosity and trepidation. They held hands, and encircled the new arrival, holding a space for the unknown to become known, trusting each other, trusting time.

An elder began to chant an ancient story of pioneers to a new land, the story of her family and collective aspiration in a time of hardship and struggle. Recognizing the story, her grandchildren offered their sweet harmonies, in their own cadence and beat.

Some said they should barricade the area, and leave the comet alone. Others wanted to touch and honour it, as it had come from the sky and was now part of the earth. Still others felt to break it down further, crush it to pieces out of anger, and others simply to integrate it into their land.

Young children chimed to make it a playground, imagining that they, too, could travel across the universe at light speed and visit new people in new lands. That by playing with this force, they could share in its magic.

Ashamed at the confusion it had caused but still bewildered by its dramatic journey across the sky, the comet finally got its wits together, and spoke.

But no one understood its language. They did not speak Comet.

Yet they did understand. By looking into each other, deeply, with inquiry and compassion they saw that together, at this moment, they were creating the new Story. And while new ingredients had been offered, suddenly, shockingly, they knew that what mattered was their intent, the strength of their courage and imaginations and the integrity of their actions NOW. The raw force and mystery of the cosmos mixed with the openness of their arms and hearts would compose the music that would be sung through time by their children, absorbed into every particle of their bodies and the earth, and threaded into the complex fabric of a Story of a place, a time, a people.

The comet had landed changing the landscape of Story in a moment. A moment that had taken light years to arrive and whose energy would spread beyond all boundaries murmuring whispering uttering pronouncing personifying….

....we are the stories we tell….