Belonging: a feeling of being with, or acceptance by, a community and/or place.
A community's essential characteristic is that in some way I feel accepted and unified with its members, whether politically, spiritually, psychologically, or physically. I may for example feel part of a community as I interact with the natural world.
Place may be physical, intellectual, or spiritual. I may feel at ease in a place of the mind as much as the body.
The consequence of belonging is to feel a sense of protection and care for the community and/or place that is the focus of my feeling. This manifests itself as love.
The artwork Belonging shows a young person with their hand wrapped around the earth, with a backdrop of flowers. It is an expression of their wish to care for the earth. The flowers, the child, and earth share the same colours and textures. They are in harmony. In the context of 2045 AI, this image speaks of hope for those who follow us.
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