Reframe: Economic Myths
What's the context?
The far right in the West have been succeeding at populist storytelling, and a large reason is in their framings of economics and how to resolve the cost of living, social mobility and a crisis of belonging.
What can leftist movements and organisations do to respond?
This is a workshop series we’re planning to understand and reframe commonly referenced economic anecdotes, in the aim of building a robust resource for organisations to respond. We’ll be exploring stories from the spectrum of “globalism is a problem, therefore we need tariffs to Make America Great Again” / “Immigrants are lazy, they will always rely on handouts” to “Degrowth leads to recession, capitalism is needed to fuel innovation.”
Who is this for?
We’re inviting people who specialize in a topic or have friends/family in proximity to the right to collect stories, sense make, reframe and speak about strategies for how people and organisations can respond.
Not only that, but we are in touch with some organisations who want to work with us for reframing these stories in a strategic design and narrative context.
Who is facilitating this?
Miho Soon — Her work revolves around exploring financial trauma and economic psychology. I look at topics such as financial stress, laziness, wealth accumulation and gambling and analyse them through a psychosocial lens, how they are portrayed through history, misunderstood and weaponized by different actors. She is currently working on a podcast documentary series called Money Trauma, in partnership with the Post Growth Institute, who she was a 2024 fellow at.
Alex Wolf is a strategic designer, narrative crafter, and systems thinker dedicated to transforming the way we understand and shape the future. Working at the intersection of storytelling, systemic change, and regenerative design, she helps mission-driven organizations navigate complexity and craft narratives that challenge dominant paradigms. She is the founder of a small Berlin consultancy, realutopia and has contributed as a founding member to projects such as the New European Bauhaus Prize-winning Transformation Lab and Network of Empathy. Rooted in intersectional feminism and social justice, her work explores how storytelling can rewire systems, foster deep interconnection, and open pathways to equitable, regenerative futures.
If you have any questions, please reach out to alex@realutopia.de
Preliminary Agenda (tbd)
6:00–6:20 — Welcome & Intro
6:20–6:50 — Group Work: Myth Definition & Data Collection
Form Groups:
Group 1: Tariffs & Local Economy
Group 2: Migration & Belonging
Group 3: Deregulation (Deconstructing the State)
Identify & Define the Myth
Collect Evidence & Anecdotes
6:50–7:30 — Narrative Creation
Using insights from the data collection, each group crafts a clear counter-narrative:
Identify Assumptions & Motivations
Spot Gaps or Missing Truths
Draft a Counter-Narratives
7:30–8:20 — Group Sharing & Cross-Feedback
Present: Each group briefly shares their myth definition, supporting evidence, and counter-narrative.
Discuss: Other groups can offer feedback or additional data, highlighting any parallels or opposing viewpoints.
8:20–8:30 — Wrap-Up & Close
Recap Key Insights: Summarize main takeaways and action items.
Networking: Encourage final discussions or exchanges of contact information.