Abstract
In this paper, I present Stories that Reconnect (StR), an emerging methodology designed to sustain cultures of peace in times of polycrisis. Taking an autobiographical approach, I offer a reflective account of the birth of StR during my work as facilitator and trainer. StR emerged from the need for connection, the call to be honoring pain, and the commitment of making hope—even amidst increasing violence and polarization. First, I situate StR within the current polycrisis through the lens of Theory U and frame peace as envisioned by Johan Galtung and Elise Boulding. I illustrate the three key frameworks—Focusing, the Work That Reconnects, and Theory U—that shape StR’s approach, language, map, and matrix. StR unfolds within an aesthetic space, where social arts enable the co-sensing of present reality and its highest future potential. At the heart of the process lies a call to connection, compassion, and courage—enhancing the capacities for empathy, self-empathy, staying-with, imagination, and creativity; through practices such as grounding, storylistening (deep listening), and collective story creation. This paper lays the groundwork for peace education training, and reconciliation processes, acknowledging that this work—like a motion-blurred photograph—is fluid, ever-evolving, and deeply rooted in lived experience.