At TNT Lab, we seek to build a dynamic community of narrative transformers from all walks of life.
Both narrative and conflict are whole-of-society phenomena. They can bind us together as much as they can break us apart. At TNT Lab, we want to take an active role in the pursuit of peace and justice, using the best of what stories and storytelling can offer to bind us. The best way to do this is together with community members who have their own unique ways of engaging with narrative transformation.
Become a TNT Lab Affiliate
Every person has a unique role to play in narrative transformation.
Here’s how you can become part of TNT Lab’s community of narrative transformers.
You’re a(n)…
Activist / Organizer
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you are an advocate for social change. Perhaps you dedicate yourself to organizing coalitions and movements—from the local to the global—for a more peaceful and just world.
Maybe you have developed tried-and-true approaches to crafting stories that get people moving, and you want to make sure that knowledge is appreciated in (but not appropriated by) academia.
Maybe you have on-the-ground experience with what it takes to bring about social change, and you know that the field of peace and conflict studies needs to listen to voices like yours.
However you advocate and organize, you know that peace and justice are built not just with words, but with action.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Opportunities to co-convene events, workshops, etc.
- Opportunities to co-develop narrative transformation projects and initiatives.
- Access to and opportunities to contribute to the latest theory and research on narrative and conflict transformation in the scholarly literature.
- Engagement with and opportunities to mentor students who are building their narrative transformation skillsets.
Artist / Entertainment Industry Professional
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you are a poet, a filmmaker, or a musician. Perhaps you are someone who helps artists do their work, like an agent or a producer.
Maybe you are immersed every day in the craft of good stories, and you want to make sure that the knowledge of artists helps inform the high stakes world of peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
Maybe you know what it takes to get art made and shared, and you want to connect with narrative transformers from academia to ensure that artists get the support they need to tell compelling and constructive stories.
Whether you’re an artist or someone who supports them, you know that good art and good stories have the power to change the world, because you see it every day.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Opportunities to co-convene events, workshops, residencies, etc.
- Opportunities to co-develop narrative transformation projects and initiatives.
- Access to and opportunities to contribute to the latest theory and research on narrative and conflict transformation in the scholarly literature.
- Engagement with and opportunities to mentor students who are building their narrative transformation skillsets.
Government Professional / Policymaker
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you are a political aide or a campaign organizer. Perhaps you work in a local, regional, or national government agency. Perhaps you are a diplomat or an international organization professional.
Maybe you are immersed in the work of government messaging, and you want to share knowledge about how to tell compelling stories while navigating the sensitive narrative ecosystem of governmental communications.
Maybe you have experience with the day-to-day process of building peace and pursuing justice at an official level, and you believe what you have learned can benefit the field of peace and conflict studies
Whatever your role in the world of government and policy, you know just how tricky it can be, and how important it is, to build respect for the narrative power that bridges policy planning, implementation, and evaluation.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Opportunities to co-convene conferences, events, workshops, etc.
- Opportunities to co-develop narrative transformation research projects.
- Access to and opportunities to contribute to the latest theory and research on narrative and conflict transformation in the scholarly literature.
- Engagement with and opportunities to mentor students who are building their narrative transformation skillsets.
Journalist
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you are a photographer or videographer, a beat reporter, a social media editor, or a long-form journalist.
Maybe you have firsthand experience reporting the news, and you want to share knowledge about how the opportunities and demands of 21st-century news media shape our narrative ecosystem.
Maybe you spend all day parsing fiction from fact, and you want to bring that process to bear on the development of cutting-edge theories of narrative transformation.
Whether the news you help report is local or global, you know that storytelling is a serious and high-stakes business.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Opportunities to co-convene conferences, events, workshops, etc.
- Opportunities to co-develop narrative transformation research projects.
- Access to and opportunities to contribute to the latest theory and research on narrative and conflict transformation in the scholarly literature.
- Engagement with and opportunities to mentor students who are building their narrative transformation skillsets.
NGO Professional
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you work at a think tank, a research center, or an advocacy organization.
Maybe you and your colleagues have built your own knowledge around narrative transformation, and you want to make sure this knowledge—and those working to build it—don’t get lost in the scholarly literature.
Maybe you know networks of narrative practitioners and conflict transformers who are systematically excluded from scholarly conversations, and you want to rectify that.
Whatever work you do in the nonprofit sector, you want to find ways to link cutting-edge narrative transformation theories and resources with action-oriented peace and justice projects.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Opportunities to co-convene events, workshops, etc.
- Opportunities to co-develop narrative transformation projects and initiatives.
- Access to and opportunities to contribute to the latest theory and research on narrative and conflict transformation in the scholarly literature.
- Engagement with and opportunities to mentor students who are building their narrative transformation skillsets.
Private Sector Professional
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you work at a a major corporation, a dynamic start-up, or a local business.
Maybe you do dedicated communications work within your organization. You’ve built up creative strategies for standing out in a crowded narrative ecosystem, and you know that these strategies shouldn’t be overlooked when discussing narrative power.
Maybe you’re connected with colleagues who are curious about how supporting research and work around narrative transformation can contribute to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Whatever your role in the private sector, you find yourself striving to balance the goals of the “for-profit” world with the desire to ensure that these goals don’t clash with building peace and justice in your community and the world more broadly.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Opportunities to support and/or co-convene events, workshops, etc.
- Opportunities to support and/or co-develop narrative transformation projects and initiatives.
- Access to and opportunities to contribute to the latest theory and research on narrative and conflict transformation in the scholarly literature.
- Engagement with and opportunities to mentor students who are building their narrative transformation skillsets.
Professor / Academic / Researcher
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you are a full-time or part-time faculty member, a member of a university research organization, a junior scholar, or a postdoc.
Maybe you have students who are curious about narrative transformation, and you seek to build conversations around effective narrative transformation pedagogy.
Maybe you have a new project idea, and you want to build a network to expand this research with other academics from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds.
Whether your scholarship focuses on narrative and/or conflict transformation or you’re looking to find connections between your main research areas and narrative transformation, you want to help build a community of scholars who are dedicated to the rigorous study of narrative approaches to building peace and pursuing justice.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Opportunities to co-convene conferences, events, workshops, etc.
- Opportunities to co-develop multidisciplinary narrative transformation projects and initiatives.
- Engagement with and opportunities to mentor students who are building their narrative transformation skillsets.
- Connection with narrative transformers from outside of academia.
Student
What you bring to TNT Lab
Perhaps you are an undergraduate student seeking to link your studies to your post-graduation career. Perhaps you are a graduate student diving deep on research. Perhaps you are a peace and conflict resolution student, or perhaps you come from a different discipline or field.
Maybe you have a finger on the pulse of 21st-century student life, and you want to help TNT Lab become a nurturing academic home for students at all levels.
Maybe you have a unique perspective on narrative, storytelling, peace, and justice, and you want to use your perspective to expand and deepen the scholarly conversation on narrative transformation.
Whether you’ve been studying narrative and/or conflict transformation for years or are just diving in, you know there is something exciting about the idea of deepening our understanding of the role that narrative plays in building peace and pursuing justice.
What you’ll get from TNT Lab
- Invitations to join and present at our weekly (virtual) lab meetings.
- Ideas about classes to take that will help you learn about narrative, peace, and conflict resolution.
- Opportunities to support and/or co-develop multidisciplinary narrative transformation projects and initiatives.
- Opportunities to develop your academic writing and research skills through both peer-mentorship and faculty-mentorship.
- Engagement with and opportunities to learn from academics from across a variety of disciplines.
- Connection with narrative transformers from outside of academia.
How to Affiliate with Us
We’re striving to build an expansive, engaged community of narrative transformers from a wide variety of industries and professional backgrounds.
Our goal is to build high quality relationships of mutual benefit with our partners. We consider relationships to be dynamic, and we envision partnerships that can grow and shift according to the different needs and goals of our community.
To express interest in possible affiliation or partnership with TNT Lab, email us at tntlab@gmu.edu with “TNT Lab Partnership” in the subject line.