Democracies have faced numerous threats, both internal and external, in recent years. Scholars and policymakers have expressed serious concerns about democratic backsliding, democratic deficits, and growing levels of authoritarianism around the world. Davidson College’s Deliberative Citizenship Initiative and Political Science Department invite you to explore these issues during an upcoming Deliberative Forum on “The Challenge for Democracy.” The forum will examine the pivotal question of how far the United States and other democratic nations should go in defending and promoting democracy globally. It will be held on Thursday, October 19 from 7 pm – 9 pm in Davidson College’s Lilly Gallery and online.
This Deliberative Forum will enable participants to actively engage with these important issues, first by listening to a panel of experts with diverse perspectives discuss the topic, and then by actively deliberating with one another in facilitated small group discussions (either in person or virtually) on how best to address the problems facing democracy (if at all). This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from experts, listen to the viewpoints of others, and share your own ideas about this challenging and complex topic. The panelists include Davidson Political Science Professors Kate Bersch, Bes Ceka, Ken Menkhaus, and Shelley Rigger who have expertise on the challenges facing democracy around the world and particularly in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
The event is free but registration is required. We request that all registrants plan to attend both the panel and the small group discussions, which are designed to complement each other. Participants may join both in-person and online. Spaces are limited due to the number of trained DCI facilitators we have available to moderate the small group discussions. You may be placed on a waitlist if our capacity is reached, and we will let you know if spaces open up. We will do our best to accommodate as many people as we can so please don’t hesitate to get on the waitlist. The Zoom link will be sent to online participants after they register.
To learn more about the panelists and register for the event, click here. We hope you can join us – everyone is welcome!
