Unbox the Narrative: A Communications Strategy for Inclusion
How Human Stories Can Foster an Open Europe
Guest post this week from hope-based trainer Aminata Bouaré. Last year Aminata wrote here about the Unbox Stories campaign to build a shared humanity narrative and counter anti-Muslim narratives through the Narrative Change Academy.
Here she shares the learnings from the campaign, as delivered by her and her colleagues at a European Parliament event at the end of last year.
Reclaiming the narrative to transform the public debate from anti-Muslim racism to inclusion and cohesion - by Aminata Bouaré
The Overton Window is shifting
Thirty years ago, right-wing and anti-Muslim rhetoric had far less influence on public debate in Europe. Since then, xenophobic discourse has been normalized in the public space through the strategic use of media and social platforms.
Meanwhile, conversations around integration have been sidelined. For instance, non-citizen suffrage—debated in France in the 2010s—now seems implausible, despite being a reality in Ireland, Slovenia, and Luxembourg. This highlights the steady rightward shift of the Overton Window—or window of discourse.
Although the Overton Window has progressively moved towards more authoritarianism over the past decades, it can also shift in the opposite direction. Angela Merkel's “We can do this” speech briefly reshaped migration debates, proving that bold policies can challenge prejudices, though fear-driven narratives on austerity and security soon regained dominance.
To counter this trend, we must consistently promote our vision of an inclusive society. Societal norms evolve when narratives are strategically established through repetition. By articulating and amplifying what we stand for, we can shift public discourse toward openness and win the battle of ideas.
We have to start communicating differently
The UnBox Stories campaign carried the message: “Good things happen when we open up.” Through personal storytelling, it encouraged people to break free from stereotypes, fostering empathy and mutual understanding.
Through the campaign, we displayed three key shifts needed for empathy-driven communication:
Set our own narrative frames that highlight inclusion and belonging instead of merely reacting to divisive rhetoric. Unfortunately, repeating and negating our opponents’ arguments only reinforces their ideas. What is the first thing you’re going to imagine if you read: “Don’t think of an elephant”? Similarly, messages like “Muslims aren’t dangerous” still center on danger, keeping harmful frames intact.
Use shared humanity narratives and avoid “good immigrant” narratives, which frame acceptance around merit, contributions, or exceptionalism. These narratives—like “Muslims also contribute to the economy”—unintentionally reinforce damaging hierarchies, implying that dignity and belonging must be earned. They also position Muslim identities as foreign or conditional, rather than inherently part of society.
Share personal, humanizing stories. While acknowledging discrimination is essential, framing Muslim communities solely as victims can reinforce their perceived otherness. Instead, we must highlight their agency, aspirations, and their integral place in the fabric of society.
After the campaign rollout, the project concluded with a roundtable in Brussels in December 2024, bringing together EU officials and civil society organizations. There, another project participant and I shared our work and insights as young narrative changemakers.
As we discussed the role of narratives in policymaking, a critical issue emerged: the rise of racist rhetoric in EU politics. Many emphasized the need to denounce xenophobic statements. After all, how can we stay silent when an MEP makes a racist comment in the European Parliament? Yet, the reality is that reporting hate speech rarely leads to consequences, allowing such rhetoric to persist. So what can be done?
The truth is: what you fight, you feed. Solely reacting to hate speech leaves little space for policymaking—and that’s exactly the far-right’s goal. Diversion is their tactic. To break this cycle of outrage and inaction, we must build the narrative we want and set the agenda. I believe we need to share radical ideas on the opposite end of the spectrum to move the Overton window in our direction. What can we say to make them react—while shifting the focus towards inclusion?
The solution: A values-based communication strategy to inspire collective hope and action
We need to leave old narratives behind and adopt a new values-based communication strategy. That means either choosing existing narratives or crafting new ones that resonate with shared values that support our long-term vision for society:
Focus on articulating the future we want: a future rooted in togetherness, equity, and empathy, for everybody. Each and every one of us deserves respect and inclusion, not because of what we provide to society but because we're simply humans. Narratives should highlight commonalities and intrinsic values, such as care, love, belonging, and self-actualization.
Make it simple. Politicians and advocates should help citizens envision the long-term benefits of inclusive policies by simplifying complex ideas into tangible, relatable outcomes that are beneficial for all.
Start with your base, then engage the “movable middle”—those silent, uncertain or ambivalent toward Muslims. Most people don’t have strong ideological preferences but are united by common values and beliefs. This segment of society, called the “movable middle”, is usually relatively open to changing their views but also have genuine concerns. We can appeal to their intrinsic values while countering stereotypes and fostering positive engagement.
Make it inclusive and diverse, by reflecting the uniqueness and multitude of Muslim experiences. In other words, convey personal humanizing stories and highlight their integral place in national identities and culture. Accurate representation and uplifting diverse voices can normalize inclusivity, transforming societal perceptions.
Once again, repeat, repeat, repeat these narratives.
By amplifying humanizing stories that envision a society where diversity is a strength and everyone feels welcomed, heard, and valued, we can craft compelling narratives.
Consistently reinforcing these narratives will help embed them in public discourse, cultivating a collective belief in a future where everyone can thrive.
You can follow Aminata on LinkedIn here. If you want to implement these strategies, she is also available for facilitating hope-based workshops, also en Français und auf Deutsch!
Hopey, Changey Stuff
There is a new agency in town who can help you bring your hope-based narratives to life! Val and Kassy have already been putting out some of the most engaging, creative social change content for many years. It is very rare to have creatives who can bring a truly global perspective to the work the way they do. Check out Collective Action Media here and take their digital storytelling course here.
Brain Science Corner - learned hopefulness
Adam Grant wrote about learned helplessness last week.
Grant urges us to try new tactics to regain a sense of power to shape the direction of our countries.
“The best way to open people’s minds is not to shame them or even argue with them. It’s to listen to them. Psychologists find that when people feel understood, they become less defensive and more reflective. That leads them to develop less extreme, more nuanced views.”
I have just been reading the biography of Martin Seligman, the psychologist who coined the term.
Seligman developed the ‘Positive Psychology’ to move the psychology from focusing solely on “what cripples life” towards enhancing “what makes life worth living”. Sound familiar? Rather than being influenced by the past, he said therapy should “plan for a better future”. A good life is more than just eliminating the bad, it is about intuition and creativity to enhance the good. How might this apply to activism?
He showed that helplessness is a default reaction to bad events. Question for activists: if we constantly show people crisis without them acting, are we teaching them passivity (“we solved this because you signed this petition”)…?
It took Seligman decades to realise that it was more effective to learn to use our wonderful cortex to learn mastery over bad events. Hopelessness is instinct, he found, but hopefulness is something we can learn.
So rather than trying to fix, cure or erase our fear, let’s focus on building our capacity to hope. Fear will always be a part of life, but we can manage it better if we train that hope muscle!
What’s making us hopeful right now
Quote of the week
As Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (in discussion with Greta Thunberg) says,
“Hope is not something that you have. Hope is something that you create, with your actions. Hope is something you have to manifest into the world, and once one person has hope, it can be contagious. Other people start acting in a way that has more hope.”
 | A guest post by
|