(3 part series By Grace Yee)
Part 2: From Disconnection to Belonging: Why Bridging Matters
In Part 1 of this series, we explored how softness and the practice of calling in can shift justice work from shame to healing. We looked at how compassion and curiosity can foster deeper accountability. In Part 2, we’ll explore how to turn conflict into connection through bridging.
Bridging is a salve for our fractured world…[w]e can overcome the illusion of separateness by honoring our differences, transcending the notion that difference divides us, and instead co-create a world where everyone belongs.”
Bridging, as described by john a. powell of the Othering & Belonging Institute, means staying connected—to others, to community, and even across deep divides. It doesn’t mean pretending differences don’t exist. It means confronting what’s uncomfortable with openness and refusing to let fear drive us further apart. It’s understanding that your joy, your pain, and your hope could be mine and recognizing that deep down, we all want to feel safe, loved, and understood.
And the truth is, most of us want to find common ground. A recent survey from the Othering & Belonging Institute found that 93% of people in the U.S. want to reduce how divided we’ve become. 86% believe it’s possible to disagree in healthier ways.
But bridging divides is not easy. Cancel culture emerged as a way for marginalized communities to reclaim power and demand accountability. But while it can feel like justice in the moment, canceling often ends the conversation before real healing begins.
It can make people afraid to speak, and unsure how or whether to engage. In fear of saying the wrong thing, many choose silence. Over time, that silence can lead to self-censorship, disconnection, and a shrinking of our willingness to reach across differences. Without honest exchange, we lose opportunities to know and be known by one another. Without dialogue, we lose connection—and ultimately, each other.
That’s where restorative practices come in. Rooted in community-based models of justice, restorative practices create opportunities for dialogue, accountability, and healing. They offer a different way forward—one grounded not in punishment or fear, but in responsibility and repair. These practices encourage us to stay in the room, to listen deeply, and to lean into discomfort with courage. Because when we willingly face the mess and the mending with vulnerability, real healing becomes possible. This is how we rebuild trust and create change that lasts.
And that rebuilding couldn’t be more urgent. Nearly one in three American adults feels lonely at least once a week, according to the American Psychiatric Association’s 2024 Healthy Minds Monthly Poll. This isn’t just a personal crisis—it’s a collective one. We’re more digitally connected than ever, but many of us feel profoundly alone. It’s a symptom of something deeper: a fading ability to truly connect with each other. Bridging offers us a way back—a path toward reconnection, belonging, and a sense of our shared humanity.
Belonging exists at the intersection of respect, community, and connectedness. Our need for it is as fundamental as air. When we truly see each other—not just on the surface, but in our shared humanity—we begin to heal. Belonging is about changing hearts and minds”
Caroline Clarke, Journalist
When we build bridges, we interrupt disconnection. We begin to restore what fear and division have fractured. When we choose to see each other—really see each other—we make space for belonging to take root. Belonging is what transforms despair into hope. To say, I see you and I hear you. I may not know your experience firsthand, but I understand now, is not just to offer comfort but to affirm someone’s humanity. As journalist Caroline Clarke explains, this kind of recognition echoes the Zulu greeting Sawubona—“I see you.” It’s more than a welcome. It’s a witnessing. Those three words can change everything. They say: You matter. You are not alone.
Bridging isn’t just a strategy to create belonging—it’s a mindset and a commitment to empathy in action. Even in the hardest moments, we can choose connection. And when we do, we create space for everyone to feel seen, heard, and valued.
To bridge is not to forget harm. It’s to face it together with the belief that our shared humanity can hold complexity. That calling in, when done with care, can do more than correct—it can connect. Bridging is a radical act of love in a divided world.
To shift systems, we must shift how we communicate. If you’re a nonprofit leader, funder, or capacity builder, your voice is essential to this work. Join us in building a community-led communications collective. Learn more
Stay tuned for Part 3, where we’ll explore how softness, belonging, and accountability can coexist.
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