OBI is a think-and-do tank dedicated to building a world where every person—no matter their race, class, education, gender, politics, religion, ability, or background—is recognized and valued. A world where everyone can exercise agency, joyously connect with others, and help shape the community they inhabit. Where respect for our planet and our shared humanity is a lived reality, and no one’s talents or contributions are left untapped, simply because of the group they belong to.
At the Othering & Belonging Institute, we stand at the forefront of making this vision real. Through rigorous, evidence-based research, we issue a radical call for belonging without othering. And we provide changemakers with the knowledge, tools and inspiration to start building that world, drawing a direct line between how we show up as humans, and the structures we build. In our world, everyone is a design-build architect of belonging.
Our vision is no less than to make belonging a global norm with our efforts that align across four pillars: research, convenings, networks and narrative.
This year, the Othering & Belonging Institute made significant strides in advancing our mission across four key pillars. Use the menu at left to navigate to each section, or scroll down to read more about each pillar.
Research: Generating Knowledge for a More Inclusive World
Equity Metrics
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- Provided data, analysis, and an interactive map for the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) Opportunity Mapping Project, guiding the development of affordable housing in high-resource areas.
- Released an analysis of single-family zoning in California, building on research from six regions.
- Launched the 2024 version of the Inclusiveness Index, ranking US states and countries.
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Collaborated with journalists, civil society organizations, and academic institutions to research and oppose Islamophobia, and advanced academic leadership in Islamophobia Studies through the International Islamophobia Studies Research Association (IISRA).
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Developed an interactive database on anti-Muslim legislation in the United States.
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Created 116 country case studies for the Climate Displacement and Resilience database.
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Led California's 5th Climate Assessment topical report on "climate displacement and migration."
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Contributed to the UNHCR's Global Recommendations to Prevent Loss of Nationality and Statelessness in the Context of Climate Change.
Publications
- Published nine research reports and 11 blog posts on topics including housing insecurity, social housing, zoning, and the rise of exclusionary movements.
- The Democracy and Belonging Forum published "Fear, Grievance, and the Other: How Authoritarian Populist Politics Thrive in Contemporary Democracies."
- Our Just Public Finance project produced a case study about targeted universalism being implemented in Baltimore.
California Survey on Othering and Belonging
- Gathered data on Californian's views on key issues, revealing growing concern about climate change and corporate influence, and strong support for government responsibility in healthcare, education, and affordable housing.
Convenings: Creating Spaces for Dialogue and Action
O&B Conference 2024
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- Hosted our 4th in-person Othering & Belonging Conference in Oakland, with 2,000 attendees.
- Featured over 70 speakers from around the world.
- Generated thousands of views for over 20 conference session videos.
- Produced eight podcast episodes from conference sessions, reaching thousands of listeners.
- Premiered the Belonging Resident Company (BRC), an ongoing dance and theater troupe.
- Launched a live participatory community of 8,000 registered learners from over 80 countries engaged in seven online courses focused on bridging, belonging, structural racism, community stories and other innovative OBI frameworks
- Hosted the Belonging Without Othering Book Club, with over 725 participants in bi-weekly workshops.
Campus Bridging Project
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- Offered the "Bridging and Belonging" course at UC Berkeley.
- Led campus-wide bridging initiatives, including the "Leading Across Divides" events.
Community Power and Policy Partnerships
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Facilitated interactive workshops for scenario planning, including at the California Community Land Trust Network conference.
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Hosted the "Reimagining Urban Planning for Belonging" webinar series, drawing 5,300 participants from 23 countries.
Places of Belonging Program
- Launched at the Othering and Belonging conference with a dedicated track, panel, and interactive exhibit.
- Organized a panel for San Diego Design Week.
- Met with members of the Washington Belonging Table.
- Helped launch Belonging Colorado.
Equity Metrics
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- Organized a panel discussion on "Using Data to Advance Belonging Without Othering" at the OBI conference.
Networks: Building and Sustaining Communities of Practice
- Engaged more than 415 members globally, hosting 35+ virtual network events.
- Launched the Network Catalyzers Program, supporting six members in launching bridging communities.
- Launched a Democracy & Belonging Leaders Cohort with the Horizons Project, bringing together 12 movement leaders from the US and Europe.
Network for Transformative Change
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The Bridging for Democracy (B4D) project conducted door-to-door canvassing, reaching 24,000 doors and facilitating over 2,100 "long-bridging" conversations.
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MOSES hosted bridging conversations within suburban congregations in Michigan.
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Make the Road Nevada expanded its team to include rural organizers.
Global Delegations
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OBI participated in delegations to Colombia, India, and Southeast Asia to learn from and uplift local belonging efforts.
Places of Belonging Program
- Collaborated with groups on state-centered projects in California, Washington, Utah, and Colorado.
Narrative: Shaping the Discourse on Belonging
Digital Engagement
- Reached 1.4 million website visits.
- Reached over 1.6 million people on social media, with over 115,000 engagements and over one million video views.
Book Launches
- Belonging without Othering: How we Save Ourselves and the World by john a. powell and Stephen Menendian.
- Flourishing Kin: Indigenous Wisdom for a Collective Well-being by Yuria Celidwen.
- Power of Bridging: How To Build a World Where We All Belong by john a. powell and Rachelle Galloway-Popotas.
Blueprint for Belonging
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Worked with VietRISE to launch the Power in Belonging video series
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Deepened narratives of belonging in Orange County in collaboration with local groups including OCCCO, OCCORD, and VietRISE
Belonging Resident Company
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- Launched growing community of artists dedicated to disseminating OBI frameworks through dance and the arts
Community Power and Policy Partnerships
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- Published the Transformative Research Toolkit, distributing over 1,000 hard copies, with plans for further distribution and a Spanish translation. This toolkit encourages and aids communities to positively transform the structures shaping their lives.
Media Engagement
- OBI experts were featured in major media outlets like the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR.
OBI University
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- Offered seven online courses to 8,000 registered learners from over 80 countries, covering bridging, belonging, structural racism, and community storytelling.
Public Speaking
- Director john a. powell traveled globally, speaking to various industries and sectors about bridging and belonging.
- Director powell interviewed US Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
Places of Belonging Program
- Published Belonging: Bridging Beyond Othering, a report which offers an introduction into key considerations of advancing State strategies towards belonging through a focus on the efforts actively being made in Colorado.
Eugenics Essay Series
- Supported a six-part essay series on eugenics in the Los Angeles Review of Books.
