Community-based belonging refers to a sense of membership, identity, and mutual care that arises through social relations and shared practices rather than through formal legal status or national identity. It’s about who you belong with rather than what you belong to.
In the context of citizenship, it captures how people build and experience inclusion from below—through neighbourhood networks, local associations, religious groups, activist collectives, or shared struggles. This contrasts with state-based citizenship, which is grounded in rights, laws, and institutions.