Our O&B 2026 Conference Goals:

  • Attendees leave with inspiration, shared purpose, and actionable ways forward to building inclusive, pluralistic democracies
     

  • The conference provides a coherent, compelling vision of belonging without othering, and the concrete tools and connections to help build it 
     

  • Clear lessons are gleaned from Kentucky, the US South, and regional movements and leaders on struggles and strategies against structural marginalization 
     

  • Attendees leave with a deeper understanding of economic and material belonging and the threat of extreme inequality
     

  • Participants are provided with a robust understanding of how bridging strengthens democracy, and the conference provides ways to practice it 
     

  • Ways to deepen relationships, networks, and partnerships are embedded throughout, and nurtured in ways that can be sustained beyond the conference