Office of the Provost to host Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century

Members of the Case Western Reserve University community are invited to join Provost and Executive Vice President Ben Vinson III for a discussion of Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century

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This virtual event will take place Thursday, Sept. 24 from 7-8 p.m. Details on how to join are below.

“There is no better time than the present to try to better understand what it means to live in a democracy,” Vinson said. “The very event of an election has a way of testing the core features of democratic citizenship. Now we must work collectively to preserve our civic faith and reengage in the democratic process.”

Our Common Purpose is a product of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. The report and its recommendations seek to increase citizens’ capacity to engage in their communities, call attention to promising local initiatives around the country, combat rising threats to democratic self-government, and rebuild trust in political institutions.

The event, hosted by Vinson, will feature a brief overview of the report’s key themes by representatives from the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship. A panel discussion will explore what those themes mean in the context of the national election and the first presidential debate. Additionally, the panel will discuss what those themes mean in the broader effort to restore civic faith in America.

Audience Q&A will round-out the event. Attendees are encouraged to share their thoughts on social media using the hashtag #ourcommonpurpose.

This event is co-hosted by Cuyahoga County Public Library. Additional details are below:

Event Details:

When: Thursday, Sept. 24 from 7- 8 p.m.

Join: 

URL: zoom.us/join
Meeting ID: 918 7788 5384
Passcode: 856213

**Note: Registration is not required, but the event will be open to only the first 1000 participants. 

Moderator:

Ben Vinson III Headshot

Ben Vinson III

Provost and Executive Vice President, Case Western Reserve University


Panelists:

Stephen Heintz Headshot

Stephen Heintz

President, Rockefeller Brothers Fund and member of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship


Kathryn Lavelle Headshot

Kathryn Lavelle

Ellen and Dixon Long Professor in World Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences, Case Western Reserve University


Steven Olikara Headshot

Steven Olikara

Founder and CEO, Millennial Action Project and member of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship


Michael P. Scharf Headshot

Michael P. Scharf 

Co-Dean, School of Law, Case Western Reserve University


Contributors:

Natalie Tran Headshot

Natalie Tran

Executive Director, CAA Foundation, and Co-Founder, I am a voter. and the Civic Alliance


Steven Levine Headshot

Steven Levine

Co-Founder of Meteorite Social Impact Advisors and Director, Civic Alliance


In Partnership With:

Cuyahoga County Public Library Logo