What we mean by belonging
Belonging is profound and personal. It is also social and structural.
At its heart, belonging is wholeness: the experience of being valued, connected, and able to participate fully in the world around us. Our work is grounded in four essential dimensions of belonging.
People
Meaningful, reciprocal relationships with others.
Belonging begins in how we relate — through care, trust, recognition, and connection.
Place
Connection to the natural and built environments where we feel at home.
Belonging is shaped by neighbourhoods, public spaces, institutions, and the living world around us.
Power
Voice, choice, and agency in shaping our lives and communities.
Belonging requires more than inclusion. It requires the ability to participate, influence, and be heard.
Purpose
A sense of meaning and the ability to contribute to something greater than ourselves.
Belonging grows when people can share their gifts and feel part of a wider story.
Why belonging matters
When belonging is strong, people and communities are better able to flourish.
Belonging supports trust, resilience, participation, and wellbeing. It helps people feel seen, safe, and connected. It strengthens the social fabric that allows communities to navigate difference, respond to challenge, and work towards a shared future.
When belonging is denied, the consequences are serious. Isolation deepens. Trust erodes. Polarisation grows. People can feel unseen, unheard, and shut out from the systems that affect their lives.
Belonging is not a soft extra. It is part of the infrastructure that helps societies hold together.
“Every person, by simple
virtue of being born, has
the right to belong.”
– Kim Samuel, Founder and Chief
Architect, Belonging Forum
How we create change
The movement is not built through words alone. It grows through evidence, relationships, shared language, and practical action.
We work in three connected ways.
We understand
We produce and share research, data, and insight that help make belonging visible.
We explore where belonging is thriving, where it is under strain, and what helps strengthen it.
We connect
We bring together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, institutions, and community leaders.
We create spaces for shared learning, exchange, and collaboration across sectors and geographies.
We influence
We work to embed belonging into policy, public conversation, systems design, and institutional practice.
We help move belonging from a compelling idea to a practical framework for action.
Explore the movement
Our movement is expressed through a growing set of initiatives, tools, and platforms designed to deepen understanding and accelerate action.
Belonging Barometer
Measuring social connectedness and belonging through large-scale public research.
Global Charter for Belonging
A shared set of principles and practices for a global movement.
Belonging Research Lab
A space for inquiry, collaboration, and evidence-building to support belonging-centred change.
Who this movement is for
Belonging matters to all of us.
It shapes how we live, relate, learn, work, participate, and feel at home in the world. That means this movement is not only for institutions, specialists, or people already working in this space. It is for anyone who wants to understand belonging more deeply and help strengthen it in everyday life.
This includes members of the public looking for language, ideas, and practical guidance to help build belonging in their relationships, workplaces, neighbourhoods, and communities. It also includes policymakers and public leaders seeking stronger, fairer, more connected communities; researchers and educators building knowledge and shaping public understanding; civil society and community leaders strengthening local relationships, participation, and trust; businesses and institutions rethinking how belonging shows up in culture, leadership, and design; and funders and partners looking to support durable, systemic change.
Wherever you work, and whatever role you play in the world, if you care about human dignity, connection, and the conditions that help people thrive, there is a place for you here.
Be part of the movement
Explore the principles guiding this movement.
Dive into the evidence and insights shaping our work.
Work with us to advance belonging in policy, practice, or public life.
Sign up for updates, events, and new thinking from the Belonging Forum.
