Cecilie Surasky is the Director of Communications and Narrative at the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI), where she works with an incredible team focused on integrating strategic communications and narrative strategies. She brings joy and deep expertise in movement-building to the work of growing the Institute's impact and advocating for a world of belonging, free from othering.
Since joining OBI in 2020, Cecilie has played a key role in many OBI initiatives including the Othering & Belonging Conferences, OBIU, arts and culture strategy, youth as architects of belonging, narrative community of practice, 100k Acts of Solidarity, and the Europe-based Democracy and Belonging Forum.
Cecilie’s career spans decades of mobilizing politically marginalized communities. As a former filmmaker, columnist and one of the country's first LGBTQ+ commercial talk radio hosts, she’s proud of her role in building a co-liberation movement as the founding communications and later deputy director of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) where she led impactful campaigns aimed at growing support for US policies that respect Palestinian human rights. She also speaks about her own family's journey with traumatic grief and belonging.
Based in Berkeley, CA, Cecilie cherishes her family and actively fosters a diverse community grounded in belonging.
