All others listen. Everyone has the chance to hold the stick. This concept is about using fictional stories, fables, parables or anecdotes to approach the conflict. But participants can also offer to share a story. Ask for or tell a story onto which the current conflict can be projected.
Stories speak as much of the future as they tell of the past.
Narrative, then, plays a part in how an environment is constructed, how characters are portrayed and how meaning is assigned to their actions in a particular context. Stories convey underlying cultural value systems and reflect the set priorities which guide actions and reactions in a conflict. The facilitator can detect undercurrents of the conflict and also speak about its historical context. This narrative analysis can be used for fictional stories, but also applied to the actual conflict narrative. This concept is about generating alternative stories.