Narratives for Nature

In a globalizing world, intercultural communication§becomes more and more important. Especially complex§issues, such as environmental conservation, need§careful dialogue in order to have a fruitful§participation of local stakeholders. In practice,§however, local people in developing countries are§often confronted with western concepts and styles of§communication.§This book describes a research carried out during§1998-2002 on local stories and storytelling§traditions in Cameroon. The aim was to get more§insight in local perceptions of nature and§human-nature relationships through these stories, and§to compare these stories with the current ideas of§western§environmentalists. Furthermore,§storytelling was used as a tool to improve an§intercultural dialogue. By using dilemma tales the§author was able to create an open and relaxed§atmosphere in which local people were able to express§themselves freely and share their ideas.§This books aims to inspire everone who is interested§in ways to improve intercultural communication.§Storytelling stimulates local participation and may§in the end lead to better and more sustainable §solutions.