Widen the Circle's mission is to combat hate through a shared understanding of the past. \Widen the Circle shines a light on individuals and groups working at the ground-level in their communities to fight hate and to confront history that led to prejudice and persecution. The organization was founded in 2019 to run the Obermayer Awards and to expand on their two-decade legacy. These awards, presented annually in partnership with the Berlin Parliament, honor community activists in Germany who are raising awareness of Jewish history and culture and using the lessons of history to fight prejudice and anti-Semitism. Aside from the awards, the organization has three additional programs: 1. The Widen the Circle Network (located in Germany) is a growing network of more than 100 activists and educators who exchange knowledge, collaborate, and empower new generations to engage in remembrance work and combating prejudice. 2. The Visiting Program each year brings a small group of international thought leaders to Berlin for a week-long immersive experience that helps them look at modern issues of prejudice in new ways. Participants then act as advisors to Widen the Circle and members of the organization's network. 3. Bridge-Building connects educators and activists in the U.S. and Germany who harness the power of local history projects to combat prejudice in their communities Our work grew out of lessons learned via the Obermayer Awards annually given the Berlin Parliament. We are small and nimble. We use Lean Startup/MVP-style methods to experiment with programs, products and audiences. open-the-circle.org
