Activist and Educator Kim Samuel Calls for End to Social Isolation; Puts Forward Global ‘Right to Belong’ in New Book

The Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness Announces Release of ‘On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation’

TORONTO, Sept. 13, 2022 /CNW/ – In her new book, On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation, Kim Samuel, Founder and Chief Belonging Officer at the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, takes aim at the growing crisis of social isolation and makes the case that belonging is a fundamental human right.

Samuel considers the concept of belonging across four core dimensions: in our relationships with other people, in our rootedness in nature, in our ability to influence political and economic decision-making, and in our finding of meaning and purpose in our lives, with lessons on how to create communities centered on human connection.

She draws on her work and interviews with young refugees, Indigenous leaders, and Special Olympics participants—as well as legendary figures including Wendell Berry, the late Dr. Paul Farmer, Margaret Atwood, Graça Machel, Ken Roth, and Quincy Jones—seeking to answer the question: “In an age of social, economic, and ecological disconnection, what does it mean to belong?”  

On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation is a collection of stories, research, and ideas that illuminate the meaning of belonging and how to cultivate it in public policy, urban planning, healthcare, education, arts, economics, and across society as a whole. The book reframes current debates about equity and inclusion, defining belonging as connectedness in terms of people, place, power, and purpose.

As the founder of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, visiting scholar at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, University of Oxford, and the first-ever Fulbright Canada ambassador for diversity and social connectedness, Samuel builds on decades of first-hand experience on the frontlines of the global movement for belonging.

“[The Right to Belong] is a constellation of both existing and yet-to-be-recognized rights—from the rights of people with disabilities and older persons to avoid discrimination, to the rights of refugees to a nationality,” says Samuel. “It’s a framework for thinking about the rights of people to love whom they choose or to maintain a living cultural heritage as a minority community. It’s a framework to be applied as we work to build dignity across the social, economic, and political domains. And it’s a framework for enshrining the deep value of our human connection to people, to place, to power, and to purpose.”

Advance Praise for On Belonging:

Publisher’s Weekly : “a compassionate journalistic treatise on building more inclusive communities [that] hits the mark.” 

Singer-songwriter and activist Annie Lennox: “Find inspiration and even hope right here!” 

Lord Richard Layard of the London School of Economics says: “Surveying all aspects of our lives, she uses powerful evidence and stories to demonstrate how we can do this. An informative and touching book.”

Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post reporter Mary Jordan: “Drawing on a stunning array of conversations, Samuel has written an important book that shows a path to a more connected future.”

On Belonging is published by Abrams Press and is available now in hardcover, e-book, and audiobook.

For more information, visit www.onbelongingbook.com

About Kim Samuel

An activist and educator, Kim Samuel is the founder and chief belonging officer of the Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness; visiting scholar at the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, University of Oxford; the Fulbright Canada ambassador for diversity and social connectedness; and author of the forthcoming book, On Belonging: Finding Connection in an Age of Isolation.

About The Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness

The Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness is a non-profit centre for research and advocacy dedicated to overcoming social isolation and building social connectedness.

SOURCE Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness

For further information: Zoya Islam, Manager, Communications & Public Affairs, Samuel Centre for Social Connectedness, Email: zoya.islam@samuel.com, Phone: 437-248-7203