Storytelling provides an opportunity for scaling by enabling storytellers and listeners to bond over the narrative expressed. By teaching activists to be storytellers, networks and coalitions can develop, frame, and disseminate narratives that support their causes and mobilize new members and partners. 

Storytelling has two dimensions. First, it is essential for developing and framing narratives that support the cause and are palatable to prospective partners. Second, the process and mode of disseminating stories is essential to ensuring that narratives reach their intended target audience.

Emma Johnson of the organization Northern Ireland Youth Action emphasizes the significance of narratives for motivating her own work as a peacebuilding activist. She notes that as a youth, hearing shared narratives by Hutus and Tutsis working together had a tremendous impact: “..that’s when I knew that I had something within me that really wanted to pursue this movement, this way forward, to help others to genuinely, like, do what I could to create a world that’s a bit of a greater good.”  

Activists also note that telling stories provides an important counter-narrative to dominant discourse. Emma illustrates this with reference to the comic book her organization has created, called Transcribe: Writing our Own Stories. She notes that the book is written by trans/non-binary youth to express their own realities, amplify their voices and potentially counter contrary opinion about non-binary individuals. Youth Action’s work with these youth in developing the skills to write stories about their own experiences also helps build their confidence and provides an important skill for future narrative development and dissemination. 

Other groups disseminate narratives via social media to amplify their cause and counter dominant narratives. This is one of the primary uses of social media for a number of Black Lives Matter groups. One local Black Lives Matter group notes the importance of using social media by emphasizing that it, “just adds more sound to your voice and it allows you to reach people that you otherwise wouldn't have reached, people are constantly sharing things that we're posting, events that we're posting.” Storytelling thus serves a dual purpose of making people aware of the group’s work and of challenging the narratives that others might be disseminating about Black Lives Matter. 

Challenges you may encounter using this tool

• Not everyone involved in an initiative has a story to tell or is willing to tell their, often quite personal, stories. 

• It requires time, iteration, and practice to perfect a storytelling narrative. 

• Many of the most influential stories are incredibly traumatic. Therefore, it can also be traumatic for the storyteller to continue to relive and recount those incidents.