Navigating a Fractured World with john a. powell
How do we make sense of a world where political leaders actively stoke fear, provoke divisiveness and threaten our well-being? The deeply entrenched political divides laid bare in the most recent election must be navigated if we are to move forward. In a recent conversation, john a. powell, renowned scholar and longtime activist and thought leader in the areas of civil rights, structural racism, housing, constitutional law, equality, and democracy, speaks candidly about how to cultivate the skills and perspectives needed to continue to advance justice and equality in today’s fraught reality. Read the conversation below as well as an excerpt from his new book, “The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong.” Plus, discover what Míriam Juan-Torres, the Head of Research at the Othering & Belonging Institute’s Democracy & Belonging Forum at UC Berkeley, has to say about how authoritarian populist politics thrive in contemporary democracies.
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john a. powell Discusses the Power of Bridging for a Fractured World
How do we create connection in a world where political forces profit from division, and “belonging” feels, for many, like a distant ideal? In this thought-provoking conversation, renowned civil rights scholar john a. powell discusses how the concept of “bridging” can create curiosity and understanding when authoritarian political leaders are increasingly seeking the opposite. Instead of “othering,” which frames people as threats, or “breaking,” which excludes them, powell discusses how bridging can help us better communicate and create a world where we all belong.
The Power of Bridging: How to Build a World Where We All Belong
We don’t want to live in a society in turmoil. In the US, 93% of people want to reduce divisiveness, and 86% believe it’s possible to disagree in a healthy way. Yet with increasing political and social fragmentation, many of us don’t know how to move past our differences. Civil rights scholar john a. powell presents an actionable path through “bridging” that helps us communicate, coexist, and imagine a new story for our shared future where we all belong.
Edited and developed with the Othering & Belonging Institute’s Rachelle Galloway-Popotas, powell’s research-backed guide offers a framework for building cohesion and solidarity between disparate beliefs and groups. He defines key concepts such as “othering,” which primes us to see people as a threat; “breaking,” which excludes people or sees them as threatening our belonging; and finally “bridging,” which fosters acceptance both of those we might have othered and even aspects of ourselves. He shares personal reflections as well as practices to help you begin bridging wherever you are — in your community, friendships, family, workplace, and even those with whom you might never have imagined you could find common ground. He calls upon us not just to engage with bridging but to become bridgers.
Bioneers Is Creating Change: We Need Your Support
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How Authoritarian Populist Politics Thrive in Contemporary Democracies: Key concepts to understand politics beyond the left-right paradigm
For decades, movements combining nativism — a belief in the supremacy of narrowly defined “native-born” citizens — anti-pluralism, and populism were rare or relegated to the fringes of democratic politics. However, recent developments, including Donald Trump’s 2024 reelection in the US, the rise of the Alternative für Deutschland party in Germany, and the electoral successes of the Fratelli d’Italia party in Italy, Partij voor de Vrijheid in the Netherlands or Fidesz in Hungary, highlight a reality of growing popular support for this style of politics.
These political leaders and the movements that support them are labeled in myriad ways, be it as populist, authoritarian, far-right, or fascist. Still, current analytical tools often fall short to explain the combination of strategic and tactical features that they employ. Many analytical models focus narrowly on ideology, despite the fact that these movements unite disparate and inconsistent ideologues, or on regime types, framing states as either democracies or autocracies, which perpetuates a binary that does not account for authoritarian practices that continue to happen within mostly democratic states. Míriam Juan-Torres, the Head of Research at the Othering & Belonging Institute’s Democracy & Belonging Forum at UC Berkeley, instead posits a framework of authoritarian populism that draws from both playbooks.
Keynote Speaker Spotlight: Baratunde Thurston — Inspiring Change, One Story at a Time
What does it mean to truly citizen? Baratunde Thurston, a masterful storyteller and Emmy-nominated creator, explores this question and so much more as the host of the PBS series “America Outdoors” and the acclaimed “How To Citizen” podcast. From unpacking the human side of the A.I. revolution in his newest YouTube podcast, “Life With Machines,” to penning the bestselling comedic memoir “How To Be Black,” Baratunde is a voice for transformative ideas and action. His work blends humor, humanity, and a keen eye for innovation, making him one of the most compelling communicators of our time.
Catch Baratunde and other visionary speakers at the 36th annual Bioneers Conference in Berkeley, California, from March 27-29.
Upcoming Bioneers Learning Courses
We’re so excited to share this new season of Bioneers Learning courses! We’ve designed this season of both live and asynchronous courses for leaders like you — those who seek empathetic, intersectional conversations with leading activists and experts on the issues you are passionate about. Together, we will reimagine philanthropy, learn to harness nature’s timeless strategies to drive social transformation and build emotional resilience for frontline activism. Our 20% off sale is almost over! Register for a course while prices are low.
- Thicket: Navigating Emotional Resilience in the Face of Climate Change | Jan. 13-March 3, 2025 | Presented by the Climate Emotional Resilience Institute, this eight-week experiential program provides practical tools, emotional resilience training, and community support to help those on the frontlines of climate work stay grounded and engaged. Sign up soon!
- Decolonizing Philanthropic Practice | Jan. 30-March 6, 2025 | In this transformative journey to reimagine philanthropy, explore how your relationship with money and inherited belief systems shape the ways you give back.
- Speak Your Truth: Leadership, Writing & Public Speaking for Social & Environmental Justice | Feb. 28-March 21, 2025 | This hands-on social justice leadership course, led by award-winning author and activist Jennifer Browdy, will equip you with practical tools to communicate your vision and build a campaign to bring it to life.
- Reweaving the Dream of Our Future: How to Tell Powerful Stories to Change the World | April 10-May 1, 2025 | This course is designed for those who feel called to harness the power of storytelling to inspire personal and collective change. Together, we will explore how to be effective storytellers and how to communicate a vision of what’s possible.
- EveryWoman’s Leadership: Cultivating Ourselves for Full-Spectrum Flourishing | April 16-May 7, 2025 | Guided by Bioneers co-founder Nina Simons, this four-week experiential program invites women, female-identifying individuals, and allies into a transformative space to cultivate inner awareness, relational intelligence, and clarity of purpose.
- Biomimicry for Social Innovation: Nature’s Lessons for Movement Leaders | May 13-June 3, 2025 | This four-week experiential course reveals how biomimicry—a practice that draws on the genius of ecosystems—can inform leadership, partnership building, and decision-making for lasting, regenerative change.
- The Four Sacred Gifts: Indigenous Wisdom for Modern Times | Self-Paced | Discover how the Four Sacred Gifts of forgiving the unforgivable, unity, healing, and hope in action provide us with a path to our most grounded, loving, healed, and generous selves.
- Regenerative Agriculture: Nourishing the Soil, Healing the Planet | Self-Paced | Be enlightened on the practical applications and impressive potential that regenerative agriculture has to revive healthy landscapes; contribute to human and animal health; create an equitable food system; and help heal the climate.