The power of oral story-telling is universal as it is a phenomenon existing in every culture around the world. However, it is an underused approach in international development projects that engage with the cultures of the countries in which they operate. Story-telling can: a) shift mindsets through processes of unlearning and learning, b) strengthen connections and ally-ships, c) surface social injustices and barriers to change, and c) build personal and collective agency and voice.

The workshop will begin with a short synopsis of how story-telling engages and disrupts thinking. Illustrative examples from public health projects in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and the People’s Republic of China will be used. Nancy will share story-telling techniques from her play “Rethinking Good Intentions”. Diana Kaliza and potentially, a third person, will share their own experiences with story-telling from their respective countries. Workshop participants will discuss the power of story-telling, consider ways to integrate story-telling approaches in their research and community work, and try out techniques for oral story-telling. Participants will be asked to consider how they can apply learning from the workshop to initiatives in which they are engaged.