Launching a new community on othering and belonging in Europe with the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt
We are thrilled to announce the launch of a three year community of practice on othering and belonging in Europe that we are hosting in partnership with the Germany-based BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt. This community is being launched with a four-day retreat in Portugal in which more than more than 40 civic and philanthropic leaders from across Europe will gather with OBI Director john a. powell to discuss challenges related to othering and racialization in the region and explore ways to advance new narratives of belonging.
Despite growing awareness of identity-based discrimination globally, many Europeans’ ability to discuss historical and contemporary issues of racialization and identity-based othering in Europe remains lacking. When the topic does arise, discussion all-too-often relies on US-generated frameworks and approaches that, while useful, may not be fully applicable in different contexts or provokes unhelpful fragmentation among groups. This inability to speak generatively about racialization and othering in the European context is a major barrier to advancing real belonging for marginalized communities.
This community of practice reflects a joining of both organizations' approaches—from OBI’s side, the bringing together of people across lines of difference, and from BMW Foundation’s, an investment in responsible and visionary leadership. At the core of both are a focus on deep and trusting relationships between actors, and creating a world where everyone belongs.