(un)common threads: co-creating societies of belonging by Democracy & Belonging Forum

Last Updated: January 1, 2026

(Un)Common Threads is a monthly roundtable event that invites listeners into intimate conversations with leading thinkers and activists who are committed to strengthening democracies and co-creating societies of belonging in Europe, the US, and around the world. We'll grapple with pressing issues of marginalization and polarization in order to unravel tensions inherent in our work to build bridges. Our guests will share knowledge and practices to strengthen our bonds and democracies — even when we disagree. The conversations featured will be solutions-oriented but are not meant to reach consensus; rather, they are meant to show that disagreeing well is not only possible but a necessary part of real belonging. This show is hosted by Míriam Juan-Torres González, Head of Research at the Democracy & Belonging Forum. The Forum is the European hub of the Othering & Belonging Institute (OBI), a “think and do” tank based at the University of California, Berkeley. OBI worksto identify and eli

S1E1 - Radical Bridging & Belonging: A Path Forward for Societies in Crisis?

Published: August 22, 2022

Today we are facing a ‘superstorm’ of challenges, including polarization, rising authoritarianism, the global climate crisis, inequality, structural racism, and group-based hate, among others. This requires a coordinated response and for civic leaders from all walks of life to be in conversation. But for too long, civic leaders concerned centrally with democracy and those concerned with the rights of marginalized and minority communities have worked in silos, despite the many shared goals and values that both groups share. Can a re-orientation towards belonging help us counter the forces that seek to divide us? What is bridging and how can we bridge across differences in order to advance true belonging?