War & Words: The Narrative Peace Lab
War & Words: The Narrative Peace Lab
“How Stories Fuel Conflict—And How They Can Heal It”
War & Words: The Narrative Peace Lab
“How Stories Fuel Conflict—And How They Can Heal It”
A research and action program that analyzes, deconstructs, and rewrites narratives in conflict zones
because the stories we tell can start wars or build peace.
Core Themes:
- The Weaponization of Storytelling
- How propaganda, myths, and collective memory escalate violence.
- Case studies: nationalist rhetoric, dehumanizing language, viral misinformation.
- Healing Through New Narratives
- Restorative storytelling (e.g., oral histories, theater, digital media).
- Countering extremist narratives with empathy-driven alternatives.
- Media as Peacebuilding
- Training journalists, artists, and influencers in conflict-sensitive storytelling.
- Using podcasts, documentaries, and social media to amplify reconciliation.
- The Linguistics of Peace
- How language shapes perceptions (e.g., “terrorist” vs. “freedom fighter”).
- Developing shared vocabularies for dialogue.
Program Structure:
- Narrative Forensics Workshops– Dissecting propaganda and hate speech.
- Storytelling Peace Circles– Victims and perpetrators co-creating narratives.
- “The Other Side” Podcast Lab– Former enemies in joint dialogue.
- Digital Peace Meme Factory– Countering online radicalization with viral peace content.
