Hi {{FirstName or "Friend"}},
Lately, it has been easy to feel overwhelmed. Everything around us, near and far, reveals societal fractures, but at the same time, there are opportunities for positive change right before us. Now, more than ever, we must reflect on the world we want to live in and ask ourselves: What are we willing to do to build it? |
Creating positive change depends on our ability to unite, embracing our diverse identities and shared future. We must resist the urge to divide and work toward creating a "bigger we" that includes everyone. Let's commit to building bridges, not breaking them, for the well-being of all of us.
Here are some incredible things happening at OBI that we are excited to share with you: |
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Join us at UC Berkeley for a conversation with john a. powell and Stephen Menendian who will talk about their book, Belonging Without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World. We will open with a panel discussion followed by an open Q&A session with the authors. The conversation will be moderated by Ashley Gallegos. The event takes place Monday, October 28 at 5pm in the Toll Room at the Alumni House. This event is free and open to the public, but we encourage you to please RSVP in advance. |
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OBI launched the 2024 Inclusiveness Index today! The report examines the degree of inclusivity experienced by marginalized groups across the globe and within the United States. Our annual index ranks states and countries in absolute and relative terms using a variety of indicators.
This year, New Zealand and Hawaiʻi maintained top spots in the ranking, while the US and California fell in the index. Read about the key findings in the study here. |
Research director Stephen Menendian gave his perspective on California Proposition 36, the tough-on-crime ballot measure that would increase punishment for certain drug and theft offenses, in his blog: “The Problem of California’s Proposition 36: Criminal Justice Reform, and the Social Justice Blind Spot.” Read it now!
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We are excited to share with you the post-event report from the 2024 Othering & Belonging Conference held on April 25 to 27 in beautiful Oakland, California.
In this report, we re-visit the impact of the conference on our community of bridgers, creators, artists, and leaders. Click here to read more! |
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OBI faculty member Eric Stanley gave their expertise in a San Francisco Chronicle story about the politicization of a transgender player on San Jose State’s women’s volleyball team. “This is all done in the name of women, but it’s not for women,” said Stanley. “Trans women are women, so it’s an attack on women.”
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The Orange County Register covered our Power in Belonging project, a three-part video series co-created by OBI’s Network for Transformative Change program and community group VietRISE. Launched last week, the videos tell the story of how Latinx and Vietnamese neighbors, leaders and organizers bridged across communities in Santa Ana, California for sanctuary, housing and universal suffrage campaigns. Click here to watch the video series.
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OBI research director Stephen Menendian and director john a. powell discussed their book Belonging without Othering in the podcasts Let’s Try That Again with Shital Sharma and Love in Action with Marcel Schwantes respectively.
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The Democracy & Belonging Forum is launching its year-long Network Catalyzers Program in 2025 to support and resource Forum members in launching virtual or in-person communities that explore specific challenges and opportunities related to othering, belonging, bridging, and democracy.
Submit your proposals by November 15!
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Last week, Bridging for Democracy’s Michigan partner, Metropolitan Organizing Strategy Enabling Strength, held an evening of bridging conversations that embody listening and empathy. Congregations across suburban Detroit came together to talk candidly about their experiences, hopes, frustrations, and about the divisions that exist in their communities.
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Transportation Analyst Jose Richard Aviles will present "Reimagining Urban Planning." a virtual talk at Cities@Tufts delving critically into how the urban planning field operates. This talk is based on Jose's monthly webinar series of the same name in which they openly critique the ways in which urban planners have been trained and the impacts it has had in the ways planners approach the land, and the people that inhabit the land. Tune into the conversation for free on Wednesday, October 30 at 9am PDT. Click here to register for the event! |
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Voters across California and elsewhere will consider rent control policies this November. For an in-depth analysis on this check out this 2018 Community Power and Policy Partnerships report, "Opening the Door to Rent Control," analyzed in depth.
For more on rent control, you can check out the following: |
Want to deepen into conversations about othering and belonging? Do you have a burning desire to change your community and the world? Hop on OBI University (OBIU), our free online learning platform! OBIU is home to seven courses and over seven thousand learners.
Not sure where to start? We encourage you to check out this course, "Introduction to Belonging" with
Ashley Gallegos, a quick and exciting guide to the key elements of belonging. We think this is an excellent companion to Belonging without Othering.
Speaking of the book, OBIU is also home to the Belonging without Othering book club with Christian Ivey, a bi-weekly community of learners and practitioners who meet to discuss john and Stephen's book. Our club fosters conversations on inclusivity and collective well-being, offering a space to bridge divides and be part of a global community dedicated to making belonging a reality for all. |
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Together, we can make belonging the norm, not the exception.
– The Othering & Belonging Institute |
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