The Rocky Road to Destiny

Starting from the proverb onbekend maakt onbemind (unfamiliar is unloved), the article tells how a refugee storytelling project in the Netherlands faced its own internal distance between those involved. By listening closely, embracing discomfort, and working alongside storytellers and volunteers, a top-down structure gradually transformed into a living community. What began as an efficient system evolved into shared ownership where connection, empathy, and belonging made the ‘unfamiliar lovable’.