Storytelling: A Radical Gift of Hope

Storytelling has tremendous power to transform the way we see ourselves and each other. Kiran Singh Sirah discusses the power and artistry of storytelling as an ancient art and as the world's oldest form of communication, and how it can help to build stronger, healthier, more cohesive communities. Sirah discusses storytelling’s unparalleled ability to change the way we interact with one another—how it links us, not just despite our differences, but because of them. This interactive session, will explore the value of storytelling, both listening to and sharing, as a tool for building relationships. We will explore our work as cultural practitioners, to cultivate building positive peace, (peace with equality & justice), work through difficult conversations, build empathy and cross-cultural understanding.


Kiran Singh Sirah is an award-winning Storytelling Industry leader, Folklorist, Arts & Culture Strategist, Creative Thought Leader, and Past President of the International Storytelling Center. For more than two decades Kiran has established several award-winning arts, cultural and human rights initiatives in numerous countries. These programs have received recognition from UNESCO, The White House, The United Nations, and the European Commission. He has spoken at the Library of Congress, the Kennedy Center, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, The Pentagon, The US State Department and numerous world peace assemblies. In 2015, he was invited to the White House in support of using storytelling for national grassroots peacebuilding efforts. An advisory member to UNESCO Scotland, a Rotary Peace Fellow, and Senior Fellow for the Alliance for Peacebuilding, he develops articles, talks and advises on interdisciplinary creative approaches to relationship building in communities around the globe. Kiran passionately believes in the power of human creativity, and the notion of a truly global multicultural society. In addition, his passion includes mentoring marginalized youth and partnering with peace activists, artists, and poets and other underserved folks and supporting them to become the story of change they wish to see in the world.