The Narrative Antidote to Authoritarianism

Summary

Puentes founder Monica Roa argues that authoritarianism feeds on “a narrative of individualism”, and that the antidote is interconnection, long held in Buen Vivir and Ubuntu. That takes more than stories: Puentes’ narrative work “is about rehearsing it in our daily lives”. In the words she borrows from Ivone Gebara, “Nothing is saved alone; everything is saved in community.”

Rationale

Monica, one of our interviewees, gives a sharp case of our point that dispositions make some ideologies feel intuitive: authoritarianism feeding on individualism.