About Us

At its core, "bridging" is the deliberate practice of building social connections and rapport across the ideological, cultural, or social differences. Drawing upon the foundational frameworks developed by UC Berkeley’s Othering & Belonging Institute, we understand bridging not merely as bringing disparate groups into contact, but as a concerted effort to cultivate mutual respect and understanding.

The heart of bridging lies in active, empathetic listening. It requires hearing another person's story not with the intent to confirm facts, debate, or persuade, but rather to affirm their shared humanity. In our fellowship this looks like intentional “following meaning” questions, which we develop and ask with the goal of understanding a speaker. We prioritize learning about what matters to them, not what matters to us. Bridging does not demand the erasure of difference; instead, it provides a structured capacity to hold space for compassion and common ground.

Dialogue Across Differences is itself a capstone project born out of the Berkeley Bridging Fellowship. Designed to act as a digital commons for broader engagement, this website was created to host a diverse array of capstone projects produced by the fellowship cohort.