Monthly Archives: September 2017

After almost twenty years in the trenches, there are three things I know about Stories. 1.Stories matter. They create power, incite wars, cause trauma, offer healing, feed despair, nourish hope. I am an evangelist for the ministry of stories, mapping their … Continue reading →

When a Pope or a President visits overseas, the schedule is much more than a tourists’ “Places You Must See.” Given the audience, every stop is subject to interpretation.  He is on a mission where every move is a message. … Continue reading →

More and more, I am coming to understand stories through the lens of power. We use to teach at storywise.com that “the power of stories is the story of power.” But recent studies in how memory works show that this … Continue reading →

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Paul The common story strategy for Israel- Palestine’s struggle for peace and justice is to invite the sharing of the dual narratives. What one side calls “nakba” catastrophe, the other side calls Independence Day, and so on. … Continue reading →

Posted on March 28, 2014 by Paul And what are the story games of war, you ask? War is a story game that requires you and me to play complimentary roles You must play the role of My Enemy In order for it to … Continue reading →

In our work in the Middle East, we come at the world through the lens of story and a firm belief that there are other ways to change the world than raw politics and bluster of threats and counter threats. … Continue reading →

Mohammad said: “We Palestinian Christians and Muslims believe in one God, who created the world, and we were created not to fight and be divided but to be united. We children of Palestine have not lost hope for the future, … Continue reading →

I am becoming more and more patient with my impatience, and more and more tolerant of my intolerance, more and more forgiving of my unforgiving ways…. not sure what that means. is this self compassion finally breaking through? Am I … Continue reading →

It is one of those quotable quotes- “that philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point is to change it.” It looks good on a T-shirt and a bumper sticker, and its too clever by half. The irony … Continue reading →

Last night, Ahmed,  the newest member of my international family told me about“What he really, really, really wanted.” and referenced an earlier conversation we had had when we were discussing his career and study plans. It made me think back to … Continue reading →