Digital storytelling for peacebuilding in a multilingual community

Abstract

This conceptual article discusses how a digital storytelling (DS) project encouraged inner, interpersonal, and intergroup peacebuilding between members of one Midwestern community in the United States. The article reports on a DS project where (1) multilingual participants explored themes of multilingualism and migration as they produced DS in a week‐long workshop and (2) community members viewed and responded to these DS in a series of public showings. The DS process helped create opportunities for connections across linguistic and cultural differences and provided a multimodal platform for multilingual community members to share their stories of migration and belonging. The process of DS production facilitated inner peacebuilding as multilingual speakers reflected upon internal conflicts related to multilingualism, migration, and their sense of belonging. Further, workshop participants were empowered to express their multilingual experiences, and their DS revealed continued searching for inner and interpersonal peace. During public showings, community members viewed the DS and then responded to prompts about migration, multilingualism, and belonging. Their answers revealed emotional responses, eagerness to understand multilingual experiences, and the desire to create harmonious relationships among community members. The authors believe that sharing the stories of multilingual speakers and hearing their experiences in their own words is a powerful tool for peacebuilding—rooting out conflict and striving to create a happy, healthy, and prosperous community.