UNESCO Story Circles
It is a great pleasure to announce the inaugural UNESCO Story Circles session in England.
On Wednesday, 15th April 2026, the event took place at Voluntary Action Islington, Islington Council's hub for charities, voluntary organisations and NGOs. It was a pleasure to work with members of their management team and hear so many fantastic contributions.
UNESCO Story Circles Methodology Overview
Story circles are a transformative approach to developing intercultural competencies through structured sharing of personal experiences. Participants engage in small group discussions to share personal stories. The methodology emphasises emotional connections, making it more impactful than traditional training. It's designed for diverse age groups and successfully piloted with participants aged 12 to 70+. The process typically requires 90 to 120 minutes, including briefing time.
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific, Cultural Organisation
In a divided and fast-changing world, intercultural dialogue is a practical and value-driven approach to building the trust and understanding needed to tackle common challenges. UNESCO defines it as a process undertaken to realise transformative communication across cultures and identities, grounded in principles and values such as mutual respect, empathy, and a willingness to change perspectives. As an operational strategy, intercultural dialogue enables people with different perspectives, beliefs, and backgrounds to connect meaningfully, navigate tensions, and co-create shared solutions. It offers a structured way to move beyond disagreement, helping to unlock cooperation where it matters most.
For more information on UNESCO Story Circles
Storytelling for inclusive workplaces | College of Public Speaking
More than just a form of exchange
Intercultural dialogue is an approach for aligning diverse interests around shared priorities. Whether that means building more cohesive communities, fostering economic resilience, or responding effectively to crises. It helps create the human connections and shared language that are essential for joint action. UNESCO is committed to making this process effective and scalable: both by producing the knowledge and evidence needed to understand how dialogue works and how it can be effectively supported, and by creating tailored projects at the country level to put it into practice.
Voluntary Action Islington - Group Feedback
Tsigereda
Thank you for delivering such a thoughtful and engaging session. It fostered a strong sense of connection across the team, and the personal elements you included made it especially memorable.
James
Thank you, Vince. I feel more connected with my colleagues because of your session. It was wonderful to hear about everyone’s interesting backgrounds and to foster a greater understanding of ourselves in the group.
Kelly
The session was a really valuable team-building experience that created space for open, meaningful conversations we wouldn’t usually have in a typical work setting. It helped deepen my understanding and appreciation of colleagues’ diverse backgrounds and experiences, and I feel more connected to the team as a result.
Meera
Thank you for such an insightful session. It really helped me feel more connected with the team, and it was great to see how many shared experiences we all have.
I especially enjoyed learning about the origins of everyone’s name. It added a really personal touch.
Navinder
I was intrigued by the structure of the UNESCO Story Circles session. The format and content helped the team learn more about each other. It was incredibly effective and thoroughly enjoyable. I would highly recommend both Vince, our facilitator, and the session content.
Cliff
I found the UNESCO Story Circles session useful and inspiring, as it brought the team together to explore a topic we hadn’t previously discussed in a safe, well-structured environment. The discussions stayed with me afterwards, and I continued to reflect on and talk about the experience with colleagues, friends, and family.
The UNESCO Story Circles general context
The importance of developing intercultural competence in addressing global challenges. The rise of populism, migration crises, and violent extremism highlights the need for enhanced intercultural dialogue. Intercultural competence is crucial for managing conflicts and fostering peace in a diverse world. Developing intercultural competencies is essential for individuals to live and work together peacefully.
