Fourth Branch Action Book Club

About this event

Join Fourth Branch Action on January 28, 2024 for our Book Club.

In December, we watch a video discussion with the author of “Belonging Without Othering: How We Save Ourselves and the World.” We will follow with a discussion on how we may apply the lessons outlined in order to begin to heal our divisions.

The root of all inequality is the process of othering – and its solution is the practice of belonging

We all yearn for connection and community, but we live in a time when calls for further division along the well-wrought lines of religion, race, ethnicity, caste, and sexuality are pervasive. This ubiquitous yet elusive problem feeds on fears – created, inherited – of the “other.” While the much-touted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are undeniably failing, and activists narrowly focus on specific and sometimes conflicting communities, Belonging without Othering prescribes a new approach that encourages us to turn toward one another in unprecedented and radical ways.

The pressures that separate us have a common root: our tendency to cast people and groups in irreconcilable terms – or the process of “othering.” This book gives vital language to this universal problem, unveiling its machinery at work across time and around the world. To subvert it, John A. Powell and Stephen Menendian make a powerful and sweeping case for adopting a paradigm of belonging that does not require the creation of an “other.” This new paradigm hinges on transitioning from narrow to expansive identities – even if that means challenging seemingly benevolent forms of community-building based on othering.

As the threat of authoritarianism grows across the globe, this book makes the case that belonging without othering is the necessary, but not the inevitable, next step in our long journey toward creating truly equitable and thriving societies. The authors argue that we must build institutions, cultivate practices, and orient ourselves toward a shared future, not only to heal ourselves, but perhaps to save our planet as well. Brimming with clear guidance, sparkling insights, and specific examples and practices, Belonging without Othering is a future-oriented exploration that ushers us in a more hopeful direction.

Please join us for our Fourth Branch Action’s book club. We are a grassroots organizing/action group engaged in protecting/improving our democracy through civic engagement, legislative and electoral advocacy, and holding those elected to office accountable in ways that include thanks when they’ve done the right thing. We believe in learning along the way and so book club was born.

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Please consider joining us for our other regular briefings and discussions:

Fourth Branch Action Cup of Joe Organizing Briefing
Every Tuesday
11:00 AM-Noon PST/2-3:00 PM EDT https://events.democrats.org/event/373822/ ; and

Friday Discussion Group (Current Events, Conversation))
Every Friday
4:30-6:00 PM PST/7:30-9:00 PM EDT https://events.democrats.org/event/373917/

We’d love to have you join us for these events, too!

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