the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley
@obi-belonging.bsky.social
"When we talk about bridging, it’s not to avoid the tough necessary conditions to avoid repair. It’s to create the conditions to have them. And the condition to have that conversation… is to have deep care and love for each other.” - Cecilie Surasky at our last conference.
ICYMI hashtag#OBI's latest Blog on #WorldCup & #Belonging by Jose Richard Aviles "Belonging is in the fans' hands, and the question is whether we can carry it beyond the game. What would it mean to alchemize fandom into civic life?"
john a. powell from @obi-belonging.bsky.social spoke to changemakers in the Republic and in Northern Ireland about belonging and the need to eradicate othering. Read more about his visit and work here: www.socialchangeinitiative.com/from-otherin...
"Part of belonging is you get to tell your story.... one audience member is the lizard. The Lizard is the amygdala, the old part of the brain that we share with the lizard that's organized around fear. That's part of your audience. Talk to the lizard."
‘When people stand up for each other something magical happens’ That was john a. powell's message to change makers during an Ulster University talk set against the backdrop of racist violence in Belfast. He's director of the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley @obi-belonging.bsky.social
What an honor to be featured by @obi-belonging.bsky.social in this wonderful article by @ivannatividad.bsky.social about our work with the Washington Belonging Table belonging.berkeley.edu/belonging-ta...
Impact Story: A Belonging Table takes shape in Washington for communities hungry for connection
In Washington, an emerging “network of networks” is working across sectors to rebuild trust, civic connection, and create systems where more people feel they truly belong
belonging.berkeley.edu
‘We must listen to everyone’s concerns and reassure them that a shared future is being built, whether they are aggressor or victim, where one person’s gain is not offset by another’s loss.’ That was the message from @obi-belonging.bsky.social 's john a. powell following this month’s racist violence
A rare Ebola outbreak in Central Africa has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by @who.int. Infectious disease expert Dr. Charles Whittaker breaks down what’s being done to contain it and the risk level to the United States. publichealth.berkeley.edu/articles/new...
How worried should you be about Ebola?
Infectious disease expert Dr. Charles Whittaker on how public health can stop a pandemic.
publichealth.berkeley.edu
"At OBI, when we talk about 'long bridging,' we mean bringing people to a point of recognition and respect across – and in the face of – quite wide identity divides, in order to overcome dehumanizing or problematic assumptions about one another." -Joshua Clark belonging.berkeley.edu/why-build-lo...
Why Build Long Bridges?
Read the fourth piece in the Blueprint for Belonging paper series, "New Organizing Strategies for California’s Future," featuring Miguel Hernandez of the OCCCO, a faith-rooted, community-led organizat...
belonging.berkeley.edu
Many practitioners are asking a critical question: How do we establish this type of work within our organizations, institutions, and communities? To address this, the OBI's Places of Belonging program has created the Belonging Practice Community. More info: belonging.berkeley.edu/belonging-pr...
What does it look like to build belonging across an entire state? In Colorado, leaders at The Denver Foundation are helping communities bridge divides and strengthen connections through Belonging Colorado. belonging.berkeley.edu/building-bel...
Impact Story: Building Belonging
The Denver Foundation leaders talk about their effort to connect Colorado residents through Belonging Colorado, a long-term initiative that aims to bring residents together to strengthen communities a...
belonging.berkeley.edu
See y'all in Louisville this fall! Can't wait to share more soon.
the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley@obi-belonging.bsky.social · 4mo agoWe don’t want anyone leaving the 2026 Othering and Belonging conference as a stranger or arriving as one. That's why we're hosting pre-conference meet-ups for registrants to start bridging well before we get to Louisville. Our first virtual meet-up is on June 23 at 1:00 PM ET!
With increasing fragmentation, many of us don't know how to move past our differences. In “The Power of Bridging,” @obi-belonging.bsky.social Director john a. powell offers an actionable path through "bridging" that helps us coexist & imagine a story where we all belong. Read more: buff.ly/9YRJkO8
Apply for The Belonging Practice Community! This dynamic cohort brings together leaders from diverse sectors, helping them build relationships and feel a sense of belonging with #OBI All-Stars: Ashley Gallegos, Sarah Crowell, & Evan Yoshimoto. youtu.be/sFAI4lbJ7iE?...
Belonging Practice Community: Sign up for the Next Cohort
YouTube video by Othering & Belonging Institute
youtu.be
“These are real expressions of belonging in action,” said Ashley Gallegos, #OBI's Places of Belonging program director. We are inviting practitioners to take their work further through the Belonging Practice Community. Look out for more info next week! belonging.berkeley.edu/places-of-be...
Belonging in Action
OBI’s Places of Belonging program supports community efforts to rebuild trust, share power, and create systems where everyone belongs.
belonging.berkeley.edu
ICYMI, #OBI Scholar Míriam Juan-Torres participated in an online panel hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she broke down how authoritarian figures weaponize gender as a political strategy. https://www.youtube.com/live/4fyp6Yje9C4?si=fViFhTfcXcCc0tyN
How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender
YouTube video by Carnegie Endowment
youtube.com
We don’t want anyone leaving the 2026 Othering and Belonging conference as a stranger or arriving as one. That's why we're hosting pre-conference meet-ups for registrants to start bridging well before we get to Louisville. Our first virtual meet-up is on June 23 at 1:00 PM ET!
Really strong, spacious essay from john a. powell, director @obi-belonging.bsky.social on what we need to save from the "old world order" and some encouragement for getting us to the new one. belonging.berkeley.edu/my-mind-my-h...
On My Mind & In My Heart
We currently live in a world that is rapidly changing. And depending on where you stand, many would say it is for the worse.
belonging.berkeley.edu
Here is a great explanation of equal vs equitable from @obi-belonging.bsky.social belonging.berkeley.edu/equity-vs-eq...
Equity vs. Equality: What's the Difference?
There is a clip of US Senator Bernie Sanders making the rounds from a recent episode of Bill Maher’s HBO program, in which the host asked Senator Sanders to distinguish “equality” from “equity.” Senat...
belonging.berkeley.edu
"We must be grounded in certain moral values and commitments, and at the Institute, we believe that those values are belonging without othering, the human dignity of all people, and the value of life itself." - #OBI Director john a. powell https://belonging.berkeley.edu/my-mind-my-heart
On My Mind & In My Heart
We currently live in a world that is rapidly changing. And depending on where you stand, many would say it is for the worse.
belonging.berkeley.edu
Join us at the University of California, Berkeley, on April 10 - 11, 2026, for a gathering that will explore the persistence of eugenic logics and practices in science, medicine, and technology, and how we can build a better future. Registration & more info: https://bit.ly/3MY4o4g
"The size of the group or unit and the degree of othering are two quite separate things – and enlarging the group or unit does not necessarily mean reducing othering." -Hans Kundnani https://bit.ly/4sKzTy3
European Identity and the Question of Belonging: When Expansion Includes Othering — Democracy & Belonging Forum
At a first glance, the European Union – and the European identity centred on it – might seem like a good example of what belonging without othering might look like. This is certainly how the EU would ...
democracyandbelongingforum.org
ICYMI, #OBI Scholar Míriam Juan-Torres participated in an online panel hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she broke down how authoritarian figures weaponize gender as a political strategy. https://www.youtube.com/live/4fyp6Yje9C4?si=fViFhTfcXcCc0tyN
How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender
YouTube video by Carnegie Endowment
youtube.com
"We must be grounded in certain moral values and commitments, and at the Institute, we believe that those values are belonging without othering, the human dignity of all people, and the value of life itself." - #OBI Director john a. powell https://belonging.berkeley.edu/my-mind-my-heart
On My Mind & In My Heart
We currently live in a world that is rapidly changing. And depending on where you stand, many would say it is for the worse.
belonging.berkeley.edu
Join us at the University of California, Berkeley, on April 10 - 11, 2026, for a gathering that will explore the persistence of eugenic logics and practices in science, medicine, and technology, and how we can build a better future. Registration & more info: https://bit.ly/3MY4o4g
"Belonging isn’t a soft feeling—it’s a hard practice." -Blanca Macias on the Bridging for Democracy project, a coalition of grassroots organizations canvassing—door-to-door, across the country—to bridge across differences. #Bridging https://bit.ly/4bnvxqq
Impact Story: Belonging isn’t a soft feeling - it’s a hard practice
Make the Road Nevada Deputy Director Blanca Macias: “People often ask why bridging matters in a time of deep division. My answer is simple: because democracy will collapse if we only talk to “our peop...
belonging.berkeley.edu
ICYMI, #OBI Scholar Míriam Juan-Torres participated in an online panel hosted by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she broke down how authoritarian figures weaponize gender as a political strategy. https://www.youtube.com/live/4fyp6Yje9C4?si=fViFhTfcXcCc0tyN
How Authoritarians Weaponize Gender
YouTube video by Carnegie Endowment
youtube.com
Hello Everyone, We are currently searching for a Communications Director to translate scholarship and ideas and disseminate them to targeted and priority audiences and partners. Please share widely! #OBI #Communications #Hiring Full details on the position: https://bit.ly/4rFWc7H
"We must be grounded in certain moral values and commitments, and at the Institute, we believe that those values are belonging without othering, the human dignity of all people, and the value of life itself." - #OBI Director john a. powell https://belonging.berkeley.edu/my-mind-my-heart
On My Mind & In My Heart
We currently live in a world that is rapidly changing. And depending on where you stand, many would say it is for the worse.
belonging.berkeley.edu
"The size of the group or unit and the degree of othering are two quite separate things – and enlarging the group or unit does not necessarily mean reducing othering." -Hans Kundnani https://bit.ly/4sKzTy3
European Identity and the Question of Belonging: When Expansion Includes Othering — Democracy & Belonging Forum
At a first glance, the European Union – and the European identity centred on it – might seem like a good example of what belonging without othering might look like. This is certainly how the EU would ...
democracyandbelongingforum.org