Working Symbolically: Using Stories in Negotiation and Mediation Training

What is it about?

The article seeks to explore the use of stories and homegrown role plays in negotiation and mediation training. It is based on the experience of the authors carrying out negotiation and mediation training in Zimbabwe, Sudan, Uganda, Libya, Egypt, and Kenya and a forthcoming collection of role plays based on real-life conflicts derived from participants who participated in some of these training courses. _x000D_ _x000D_ Stories and (homegrown) role plays have symbolic dimensions that are often missed when approached in a purely technical manner. By definition, symbols have multiple meanings. This means there is no right and wrong, but rather a range of possible interpretations that can lead to different meanings and actions. We want to complement more technical types of negotiation and mediation training by seeking to provide ideas and guidance to practicing negotiation and mediation training to explore and make use of the symbolic dimensions of stories and role plays.

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