Pride month arrives in colour. Streets bloom into rainbows, parades fill the air with music and protest in equal measure, and for one month, the world makes a louder space for the LGBTQIA+ community to be seen, celebrated, and unafraid. Pride Month is one of the most beautiful reminders for creating community. We honour it.
But Pride asks us a question that lasts longer than June. Who gets to belong?
The answer lies in just how much we make space for everyone – and make sure everyone is seen, heard and valued. Everyone has a right to be included. From our members in the LGBTQIA+ fighting for representation to perhaps seniors who feel left out. Or indigenous voices who need more seats at the table. Or a person with a disability who needs to know we do design rooms for them, too.
Belonging is the deepest human need we don’t always name — and the easiest one to forget to extend to others.
This month, TheOneHourProject leans into that deeper question. We hold Pride close — and we widen the lens. Because the work of making people feel seen, as Pride reminds us, is more than seasonal as we bring a sense of belonging in every interaction, every hour we choose to give.
In this issue, we dive into how volunteer work is fundamentally rooted in inclusivity. We round up six Southeast Asian NGOs — three of them TOHP partners — who are building communities where no one is left out. And we go deeper into what belonging actually asks of us.
Belonging is built in our small, repeated choices to make room. For everyone.
So this June — and every month after — we hope you’ll keep asking the question with us.
Who gets to belong?
And then: what can I do, in the next hour, to widen the circle?
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Thinking about volunteering? Or know a non-profit organization that may need support? Email us at hello@theonehourproject.com.
