This inspiring conversation with Monica Roa from Puentes invited us to think about the importance of growing a larger We, anchoring on shared values, and practicing active hope to build the world we want.

We are living in a time when authoritarian forces aren’t just capturing institutions—they’re capturing imaginations, narrowing what seems possible. Narrative work exists to break that spell. It helps us surface alternatives, reminds us of our agency and capacity for radical imagination, and invites us to rehearse the future we long for, now.

So much of the dominant narrative is shaped by fear—us versus them narratives that shrink our capacity to imagine shared futures and move together towards them. But these times ask us to:

• Widen the circle. Grow and nurture a larger We, form alliances, and strengthen authentic connections. And for that we need to:

  • Listen more deeply, to be open and willing to find that in the differences, there are also shared values. As Chimamanda Ngozi reminds us in The danger or a single story, our lives are composed of many overlapping stories, and if we hear or stay with only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding. We must let go of purity and remember that we need each other, that issues divide us, and values can unite us.

  • Find the harmony. Like a jazz band, we must come together with a basic agreement on what the harmony is and riff off each other. Keep our singularity, but move together and adapt in ways that invite people to “dance to our music” and join our efforts.

• Practice active hope.

  • Recognizing that we live in an unbearable reality  

  • Articulating an irresistible vision of the future we want to build (radical imagination) -with language, metaphor, visuals

  • Remembering our collective agency. Recognizing that our actions do create impact in the world. It’s an active commitment.

  • Relentlessly looking for possibility - finding the cracks. Getting used to sustaining all efforts even if wins are not always happening, so we are ready when the opportunity arises.

• Inspire vs. lecture. Not just denounce injustice, but inspire people on what the world can be. We all have a role to play. We should also look at the world in ways that give us hope and strength. We must look for the stories that illustrate the future that we want and put a spotlight on them to show that what we are building towards is realistic, and it's happening here and there now.

Watch the recording of this incredible conversation here!