Changemakers today find themselves operating in highly complex, transcontextual environments dealing with unprecedented challenges, which more than often appear in controversial and polarized territories. Most of the times, the whole field becomes an arena of problem-saturated narratives, which affect our capabilities and energy towards a fruitful change process. Working with the whole spectrum of the respective stories that emerge in this field is an essential skill. Moreover, working with polarities brings more and better awareness of our differences, leveraging diversity, all essentials elements for igniting a community spirit.

In my work, I see polarities as the forming of two ends of a continuum, with the in-between middle space staying underdeveloped and/or underrepresented. Stories in various formats can shape a safe enough container that could smoothen any intricate and highly polarized field. Deep and non-judgemental listening, primes mainly the underdeveloped in-between space with alternative narratives and opens up that field for a multiplicity of new perspectives and possibilities. This allows conversations to emerge, in a respectful way that makes meaning for both poles’ identities.

In this interactive workshop we will work with various “Multilarities, Pole Stories, Trojan Stories, Middle Ground Stories and much more. You will get familiar with a concrete methodology which I have developed and you can implement in your work not only for balancing existing or imagined polarities and differences but also use it as an intervention for creating a safe enough space for intentional change.