How stories can support cross-cultural understanding

storymaking Jan 14, 2018

My first deep immersion international experience came at 17, when I was an exchange student in Germany during my last year in High School.  The biggest discovery I made was that there was more to difference than just language.  Germans had a different perspective of life than I'd grown up with, and they handled it in a different way.  It was a time when I realised my way wasn't the only way.  It was a time of seeing both the gifts -- and the challenges -- of cross-cultural understanding.  I've been fascinated with it ever since.

At the Beyond Storytelling conference last year, I met Joanna Sell, who is working in this field, using narrative to foster cross-cultural understanding.  She supports cross-cultural teams, people moving from one culture to another and groups and organisations seeking to make the most out of their international people's expertise.

In this interview, I talk to her about how she stumbled onto her passion and she gives some very practical tips about how you can use story to engage across culture.

Isn't it time to have a brilliant ally on your side?

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