The Narrative Antidote to Authoritarianism
Democracy and Interconnection vs. Fascism and Isolation
This week we are sharing an excerpt from an article Puentes founder Monica Roa posted last week.
The Narrative Antidote to Authoritarianism - by Monica Roa
The rise of authoritarianism and the unchecked power of the broligarchs (the hyper-masculinized tech oligarchs) have been fuelled by a narrative of individualism, as it justifies and reinforces their power.
Narratives of interconnection
In contrast, the narrative of interconnection reminds us that well-being is relational, that progress stems from cooperation, and that mutual care is a survival strategy, not just a moral concession. This has long been the perspective of Indigenous peoples with the concept of Buen Vivir and African cultures with the philosophy of Ubuntu.
This narrative shows that true individual strength comes from the connections that sustain us. In doing so, it reclaims solidarity and an awareness of our interdependence as essential values for building cohesive communities where collective well-being is not sidelined by the dominance of individual interests imposed by those in power.
Reflecting on interconnection is not just a philosophical exercise—it is a political and practical urgency.
How do we narrate freedom in a way that includes social protection rather than dismantling it?
How do we tell stories of success that highlight the structures that make it possible rather than reducing it to personal merit?
How do we reclaim interdependence without it being perceived as a threat to autonomy?
At a time when narratives of isolation are being used to instil fear, we need stories that restore our awareness that, far from being a burden, our connection to others is the key to greater well-being and a stronger democracy
Challenging the narrative of individualism is not about dividing the world into heroes and villains—it’s about recognizing that alternatives exist and that even within powerful structures, many people are questioning the current model. We can be tough on problems and compassionate toward people, separating individuals from the systems, behaviors, and ideologies that cause harm.
Transforming the narrative is not just about pointing out what’s wrong—it’s about amplifying and strengthening the stories that show another path is possible.
Interconnection as an Antidote to Authoritarianism
To counter narratives of individualism and elevate the narrative of interconnection, we need to strengthen the story of what true well-being means.
Fulfilment is not achieved in isolation, but through strong relationships and systems that sustain us.
A mother is not better served raising a child alone but when she has a supportive community.
A worker is not better off accepting any wage but when dignified conditions exist for all.
A country is not more sovereign when it shuts itself off from the world but when it cooperates with others to tackle global challenges.
We must also challenge the myth of competition as the sole driver of progress. Innovation does not come only from brilliant individuals locked in fierce rivalry but from collaboration.
We see this in science, where COVID-19 vaccines were developed at record speed thanks to international cooperation.
We see it in the social economy, where cooperatives demonstrate that more equitable and sustainable models are possible.
And we see it in the history of social movements, where deep change has never been the work of isolated heroic acts but of organized communities moving forward together.
We must reclaim care as a central force in our societies.
Instead of seeing interdependence as a burden, we must recognize it for what it truly is: the foundation of our collective strength. The pandemic taught us a clear lesson—no one survives alone. Without healthcare workers, support networks, and robust public systems, society cannot function. Yet instead of internalizing this truth, the narrative of every man for himself continues to gain ground. We cannot let that happen.
The narrative work proposed by Puentes goes beyond simply telling stories about the world we want to see; it is about rehearsing it in our daily lives.
Narrative work is not just about words or stories that give meaning to the world—it is about the experiences we create and the sense of possibility we cultivate together.
Our response to authoritarianism and individualism cannot be limited to resistance.
We must activate our collective power—the one that manifests in how we live, create, and narrate—to imagine and build a new horizon where interconnection is the key to freedom, security, and well-being.
The goal is not just to defend what we had, but to dare to imagine something better: a society where well-being is not a privilege for a few, but the certainty that each person’s well-being depends on the well-being of all. Because the real question is not whether we can do it alone, but whether we ever truly did.
Weaving instead of Breaking
We at Puentes invite you to collectively create the narrative antidote to fascism: bringing stories of interconnection to life.
Let’s make visible the environmental and social interdependence that sustains us.
Let’s tell stories of collective well-being.
Let’s build community.
Let’s speak of the State and its institutions as an organized system of mutual care.
Let’s practice solidarity, cooperation, and reciprocity.
Let’s bring these narratives to life and use our narrative power to create an ever-expanding “us.”
Throughout the year, through our fellowships, platforms, and communities, we will be promoting and amplifying this narrative. Despair tries to convince us that the future is inevitably bleak and that change is beyond our reach. However, the future is not written, and history shows us that transformation is possible when we work collectively to achieve it.
In the face of authoritarianism, true emancipation comes from recognizing that we are nodes in a network of life. As feminist theologian Ivone Gebara wrote: “Nothing is saved alone; everything is saved in community.” Building radical interconnections—in the streets, in our bodies, on the land—is the antidote.
Now is the time to weave!
Read the full version of this article in Spanish and English here. Follow Puentes on LinkedIn or join their mailing list to receive their calls for applications and stay updated on our progress in advancing narratives of interconnection.
Read more about how Puentes are showing us how narrative change work should be done here:
Building narrative power
hope-based slack is back! After taking the summer off, normal service is resumed, with new posts coming fortnightly.
Hopey, changey stuff
Africa No Filter just launched the Africa Bias Buster: a super practical tool to help writers identify and correct bias and stereotypes in their work. Read more here.
“When language is under attack, strategy is survival.” - Hope-based expert Michael Braithwaite launched a cool thing last week. Go check out DONE - the Department of Nonprofit Efficiency.
“We need to develop a new governance structure, which starts with creating a new vocabulary.” - Mariana Mazzucato is an economist with a strong grasp of the role of narrative and language in actual policy-making and behavior: she is doing a lot of the narrative heavy-lifting of articulating what alternative economic systems could look like and the role of government in that.
Authoring Justice: sign-up open for a course for people writing about social change from my alma mater, the Global Campus for Human Rights.
Breaking through the noise: Anat Shenker-Osorio in conversation with Anand Giridharadas - see esp. on testing messages for salience and cognitive ease at 15:00.
Narrative change event for anyone at CSW: Narrative Change and Community Organizing Against Anti-rights Discourses on Social Networks.
Brain science corner
Can we control our emotions? Our brain is wired to predict bad things that could happen, which is great for avoiding clumsy accidents, but not so much for building a better society. At 22 minutes they talk about the difference between avoiding emotions and venting them. Venting is a good tool for bringing us closer together with others (think of protests where we connect in our outrage), but it might reinforce feelings of wider alienation at the expense of more constructive emotions:
“If all you do is vent about a problem in a conversation with someone else, you will end up feeling really close and connected to the person you just spew it all out to, but you haven't actually done anything to work through that experience to cognitively reframe it: to put it in a different light that just might actually allow you to work through it in ways that muffle it.”
They also talk about the role of hope in managing stress: sometimes mindfulness alone reinforces the pressure of the present moment: we also need to see that things can be better in future, and we need ways to practically anchor ourselves in that future.
“If you’re going through an intensely stressful, emotionally-difficult time, the attitude that’s going to help you most is not mindfulness, it’s actually hope. Because if you’re only living in the present, you’re going to be overwhelmed by the pain of today. Where you find strength and resilience is in thinking about the better circumstances of yesterday, and then trying to anticipate a better tomorrow.”
Ethan Kross on Adam Grant’s podcast
Quote of the week
“Imagination is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for creating the futures we deserve. To be free is to dream beyond what is and act on what could be.” - Elissa Sloan Perry
Thanks to Monica Roa for not only sharing her post this week but also providing our hope-based quote of the week!
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The fault of the rise of authoritarianism and Trump is shared by the left and right. No one is trying to find solidarity outside of their tribe. It’s all about zero sum. More for me and less for you. Dog eat dog as t hey say.
Whatever the government or a major party’s job is the bottom line should be in uniting not dividing. We cannot hope to make the world a better place unless we have buy in from most of the people. That means expanding our vision to include views we may find uncomfortable and even objectionable. At that intersection of world views we can begin to make progress and find solutions. Until then we are merely warring factions open to manipulation by bad actors.