Bridging is a concept that helps us form connections and partnerships between dissimilar individuals and groups. It occurs when members of different groups reach beyond their own group to members of other groups. Building bridges to unite diverse groups can help expand our social networks, revitalize our communities, and establish a more fair and equitable society. Bridging reminds us that we are inextricably interconnected and it helps us build a large “we” that does not demand assimilation. Meaningful bridging must acknowledge, respect, and appreciate differences as a starting point, not try to erase them.

The ultimate desired result of bridging is belonging – which can exist in many forms or be expressed or experienced in a myriad of different ways. Importantly, b​elonging means having a meaningful voice and the opportunity to participate in the design of political, social, and cultural structures that shape one’s life — the right to both contribute and make demands upon society and political institutions. To belong is not just to be a citizen or member in the weakest sense, but to be able to participate in co-creating the thing you belong to. This makes it different from inclusion. OBI’s Director, john a. powell, uses a simple metaphor to explain belonging: Instead of inviting you to the table that I built and set, you and I co-create the table and the menu together.

Our future must be hopeful. For groups and movements dedicated to exposing problems, positive communication doesn’t always come naturally. But, according to science, when we only show the grim situation, people begin to fear the future and start to believe that we live in a world of crisis with no alternative. In order to flip the narrative, we need more visual imagery focused on hope, the future we want to see & the solutions to get us there.

We are looking for a new set of visuals to accompany stories that focus on bridging and belonging and show that this is a possible future. What does belonging look like in practice? How can we visualize the act of bridging diverse communities? How would our world look like if we overcame the cleavages that often divide society (such as race, class, or religion) – on the streets, in the city, at work, in politics, in healthcare etc.? How can we illustrate the diversity of “we”, without creating “us” and “them”?

We are looking for illustrations that:

• Depict a world where human rights are upheld, met and protected, and where values such as belonging, unity, solidarity, compassion and community are center stage;

• Show diversity of characters (in terms of geography, gender or gender identity, nationalities and races, sexual orientation, religion etc.) and issues (refugee and migrant rights, racial justice, gender & LGBTI equality, etc.). These visuals will be used around the globe and it is important that we showcase different people so they are more relatable and engaging.

• Contain an actionable or inspiring message, either through writing or imagery (appropriate humor is welcome);

• Focus on the solutions forward, rather than the problem.

The Othering & Belonging Institute at the University of California, Berkeley advances groundbreaking research, policy, and ideas that examine and remediate the processes of exclusion, marginalization, and structural inequality—what we call othering—in order to build a world based on inclusion, fairness, justice, and care for the earth—what we call belonging.

The Democracy & Belonging Forum is OBI’s newest program, constituting the Institute’s first concerted effort to bring its scholarship, analyses, and frameworks to global changemakers. The Forum is a network for civic leaders in Europe and the US to engage with each other around some of the greatest threats to marginalized groups and belonging in both regions: heightened polarization and "breaking" across lines of difference, the opportunistic rise of populist authoritarianism, and the erosion of democratic norms and systems in both regions.

Fine Acts is a global nonprofit creative studio for social impact. Fine Acts works at the intersections of advocacy, art, tech, and science, and practices playtivism – creating multidisciplinary spaces for play and experimentation in activism. Our work – from public art interventions, through videos, installations, books, board games and illustrations, to experimental formats – is rooted in hope, joy and openness. Our campaigns and art actions foster public understanding and engagement on a vast range of social and environmental issues, all around the world.