How We Story

The Pacific concept of Talanoa

This week I learned about the Pacific concept of “talanoa”. This is storytelling that leads to consensus-building and decision-making. It is a collective or community intelligence process deeply rooted in the Pacific way of life.

Storytelling and discussion during a workshop with secondary teachers, in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. (March 2020)

With parallels to Australian Aboriginal yarning and Hawaiian talkstory, talanoa is a conversational mode of storying through which…