Polarization has become a major roadblock for those working on issues from public health to climate change. Unless we can figure out how to shift cultures and the stories that shape them, it’s going to be tough for us to find ways to move forward together.

That’s why I’m so excited to have Laura Hughes join me for this episode. As a senior policy analyst in the Alberta clean energy program at the Pembina Institute, she leads the organization’s files on women in the energy transition, the Alberta Narratives Project, and nature-based solutions. She also works with municipalities to support their transitions to renewable energy.

In this episode, Laura walks us through the details of the Alberta Narratives Project – an incredibly successful initiative run with Alberta Ecotrust and Climate Outreach to help everyone move past the polarizing stories that were holding them back and find common ground to start creating a better future together.  She outlines what they did, who they worked with, what challenges they faced, and – importantly – what they found in their evaluation. 

She also talks more broadly about the value of taking a narrative approach to policy development, as a key strategy in creating the cultural momentum necessary for any successful change project. 

With competing stories and ideologies tearing apart families, communities and nations, learning how to find common ground to tackle tough issues is a critical skill we all need to develop. Laura and her team have created a model for how, exactly, to do that. So be sure to check out her work!

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