Paper short abstract:

Circulating narratives contribute to our sense of purpose and place. These become especially important in places where we temporarily dwell with others. I will illustrate how narratives work in an international policy-making setting.

Paper long abstract:

In my talk I want to illustrate how narratives, both narrated and inferred, are used in an international forum negotiating a text involving traditional culture. In this particular setting stories circulate in both informal talks and formal contributions during meetings, to support different positions, make a particular point, explain certain aspects of the setting to novices, and for many other useful purposes. Certain well-known tales, some of which were initially formulated by researchers, are repeatedly referred to in the negotiating process. I argue that these stories contribute to the creation of a joint purpose and a sense of place among participants. Through stories people hailing from the four corners of the world are temporarily transformed into a community that makes one of the great halls of international relations their dwelling for one week. My talk is based on participatory research at the meetings of the intergovernmental committee on traditional knowledge etc. at the World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva.