O&B Berlin is a wrap! We're pleased to have concluded two days of brilliant conversations and performances last week in Berlin at our first Othering & Belonging Conference outside the United States.
WATCH OUR CONFERENCE RECORDINGS
Speakers
Breakout Sessions
Culturemakers
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Program
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O&B 2023 will explore how we can co-create democratic societies rooted in justice and belonging amidst rising populism and intersecting global crises. This two day event, to be held at a historic cultural space in Berlin, will feature mainstage discussions with leading thinkers and artists - and you!- on the following topics:
- Reimagining What’s Possible: From authoritarianism and othering to democracy and belonging
- Is Democracy Equipped for This? Renewing civic infrastructure in a time of populism and polycrisis
- Turning Towards Each Other, Not Against Each Other: Bridging in times of crisis
- Same Playbook, Different Players: Charting shared tactics of anti-democratic movements from Türkiye to Texas
- Unpacking Populists’ Gender Playbook: Building coalitions to counter the anti-feminist/LGBTQ backlash
In addition, the conference will feature a set of “dive-deeper” breakout sessions, being developed in partnership with organizations in Europe, on strengthening strategy and enhancing solidarity for countering the far-right and bolstering democracy with a movement rooted in belonging and care, for each other and our living earth.
Check back often for more details on our developing agenda!
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Venue
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The Othering & Belonging Conference in Berlin will be held at:
silent green Kulturquartier
Gerichtstraße 35, 13347
Berlin, Germanysilent green is in the historic premises of a former crematorium in the Wedding neighborhood of Berlin. Described as a space "where people can think, research and experiment," we are excited to be hosting the O&B Conference at this center rooted in a working class neighborhood of Berlin and dedicated to cross-pollinating work across geographies and disciplines.
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Photograph by Cordia Schlegelmilch
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Recommended Lodging
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Registration
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There are three ticket types for O&B Berlin:
100 euro for attendees from medium to large organizations, foundations, or private companies. By paying this ticket price we are able to cover the actual cost of food service and venue labor at the conference. This ticket includes access to everything at the conference.
50 euro is our reduced price ticket priced for students, people on limited or no income, or attendees from organizations with budgets not able to cover the 100 euro ticket price. This ticket is subsidized by grants and includes access to everything at the conference.Scholarship tickets. Our scholarship process is now closed. Thank you to everyone who applied and accepted a scholarship. We look forward to seeing you on Oct. 26-27.
A limited number of tickets will be available for O&B Berlin which will offer local* residents who work, study or participate in the intersections of social justice, community activism, cultural initiatives, education, policy and/or research. access to everything at the conference.** Interested in receiving a Scholarship ticket? Complete your Scholarship ticket request here.
Scholarship tickets for the OBI Berlin Conference 2023 are distributed on a rolling basis, with a priority given to local* residents and (4) tickets released to non-local residents. Scholarship tickets will be distributed until October 20th. Currently, we are only accepting Scholarship ticket requests for OBI Berlin Conference 2023.
*Othering and Belonging Conference defines local as attendees residing in Europe.
**Scholarship tickets do not cover the cost of travel, meals, accommodations, or ancillary conference activity fees. Scholarship ticket recipients are responsible for all costs associated with travel, accommodations, or ancillary activities outside of the conference.
All ticket types include on-site lunch and beverages throughout the two-day program (coffee, tea, and water).
Please note that registration fees will be processed by iac Berlin, the fiscal partner of OBI in Europe, and will be reflected on your billing statement. OBI will remain the point of contact for all registration related inquiries. Please reach out to obconf@berkeley.edu if you have any questions related to your registration.
Registration is now open—click here to register for O&B Berlin 2023.
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Sponsorship
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We are seeking support to help us bring this dynamic gathering to life and hope you will consider partnering with us. Please contact Puanani Forbes at obconf@berkeley.edu if you are interested in supporting our Berlin conference. All contributions are deeply and will help strengthen the work and ecosystem to co-create democratic societies and belonging.
Learn more about sponsoring the Berlin 2023 conference at the sponsorships page or by downloading the sponsorship package with the button at right.
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Livestream
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We will be presenting our mainstage sessions for everyone to watch online for free, wherever you are. The livestream will be hosted on OBI University (OBIU) — our new, free virtual school dedicated to exploring concepts of othering and belonging. All you have to do is make an account on OBIU to access the livestream.
Please click the button below to be sent to OBIU. From there, you will be prompted to sign up for a new account. For easiest access, make sure to click the checkbox in the sign-up form stating that you want to watch the livestream. Registering this way enrolls you in the "course" set up as the home for the conference. Once you have an account, you'll be able to login easily to view the livestream during the conference as well as the recordings afterwards.
Feel free to contact obconf@berkeley.edu if you run into any issues during signup.
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Accessibility
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We are committed to making our upcoming event as inclusive and accessible as possible, and we value your input. To help us better accommodate your needs and preferences, please email evan.yoshimoto@berkeley.edu with any accessibility needs or questions by Wednesday, October 18, 2023.
Physical Accessibility:
The concrete hall (Betonhalle), where the mainstage programming of the conference will take place, is an underground space without windows that is completely accessible without barriers (all levels), including toilets. The same applies to the dome hall (Kuppelhalle) and the MARS restaurant. The studio rooms (Atelierräume), where select breakout sessions will take place, are only accessible to a limited extent (no barrier-free bathrooms). For elevator usage requests, please email evan.yoshimoto@berkely.edu.
For people who cannot be physically present, we will be livestreaming the mainstage events for free. Please register for an account on OBI University, our new online school, to view the livestream.
Fragrance-Free Event:
Please be aware that Othering & Belonging 2023 Berlin strives to be a fragrance-free event. Please refrain from wearing scented products such as perfumes/colognes, hair products, cosmetics, and scented lotions while attending this event, and avoid using scented soaps, shampoos, and detergents prior to the event. These products can trigger serious health issues for those with fragrance allergies and/or chemical sensitivities. Thank you for your consideration for all members of our community. More information on being fragrance-free can be found here.
COVID-19:
In view of the significant decline in the number of cases, the pandemic is currently not expected to overload health care or critical infrastructure in Berlin. For this reason, Berlin-specific Corona measures have no longer been in effect since February 13, 2023, and the Berlin Corona Ordinance is no longer in force. Attendees of the Othering & Belonging Conference in Berlin are encouraged to test for COVID-19 in advance, stay home if they are feeling unwell, and wear masks if preferred as an extra precaution. We will have masks and hand sanitizer available on-site. Further information provided by the World Health Organization (WHO) on ways to protect yourself and prevent the spread of COVID-19 can be found here.
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Language
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Conference sessions and materials at the Berlin conference will be in English. Email Sara Grossman if you have translation questions or needs.
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Contact
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If you have any other questions related to the Berlin conference, don't hesitate to contact our conference team at obconf@berkeley.edu.