Expand the Circle of Belonging

A foundation of ethics and shared values helps us to do the essential work of addressing systemic and structural inequities.

The Othering and Belonging Institute works to examine and remediate the processes of exclusion, marginalization, and structural inequality—what they call othering—in order to build a world based on inclusion, fairness, justice, and care for the earth—what they call belonging.

How do we work towards belonging?

We can start by examining how when we collectively take care of ourselves and others in this work we can work more towards bridging (rather than breaking).

Breaking where we turn inward, only to what we know and who we know. This path leads ultimately to isolation and reinforce oppressive systems.

The other direction is bridging, where we turn outwardly to connect and explicitly work with other groups and seek ways to build common ground. This path ultimately takes us towards belonging, empathy (and compassionate action).1

To learn more about bridging and breaking visit the animated video curriculum from the Othering and Belonging Institute. 

PICO of California is engaging in a campaign of “Becoming and Belonging”. They pose the first question is not what do we need to do, but rather who do we need to become and how does that becoming work and inform our strategy? Their vision is a California where everyone belongs, everyone thrives, and everyone has agency over their lives.

You can learn more about PICO here - http://www.picocalifornia.org/becoming

john a. powell shares two prevailing stories in the world today:2

One is an all too familiar story rooted in domination and exploitation and fueled by manipulating and manufacturing fear. This story reads as if we are living in a world where entire communities, and even the earth itself, are treated as the “other,” as though their well-being isn’t essential to all of our futures. This story is organized around a small “we” that is increasingly disconnected and isolated.

The other story is one of a larger “we.” It is an expansive story, rooted in compassion and respect, and motivated by the belief that we are all connected to each other and to our planet. This story does not ask us to sublimate those parts of our identities that give us meaning.  This story offers all of us a place in co-creating the world we want to be part of. 

The second story expands the circle of belonging and human concern to a larger “we”. We get to choose which story we come together around and act into for a more just and inclusive future with a sense of true belonging.  

 

Sources:

  1. Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley. Expanding the Circle of Human Concern. https://belonging.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/expanding_the_circle_of_human_concern_impact_report.pdf

  2. ibid