How can we create a culture of belonging? Where, rather than isolating ourselves into groups or communities where everyone looks, talks, or thinks like us, we consciously work to include everyone: particularly those whom our first instinct is to ignore, marginalize or even exclude?

In this increasingly polarized age, a case can be made that answering this question is more critical than ever. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risk Report, deepening societal and cultural polarization are along with climate change the world’s top global risks. Differences in ethnicity, geography and economic status can exacerbate conflict and contribute to a kind of us-against-them approach to being in the world.

So what is a way to rise above polarization and instead embrace a path built around listening, connection and belonging? One way forward is the path we’re calling radical inclusion.

In this symposium, we’ll explore radical inclusion and how it differs from conventional diversity practices and ecumenical, tolerance-oriented projects.  We’ll hear from people who practice it, learn about its inherent challenges and rewards, and hear ways others have integrated it into their lives. We’ll also discuss personal, organizational, and societal implementation strategies, and brainstorm ways to put them into immediate practice.