Democracy Summit
CSU Democracy Summit
April 8-12, 2024
Monday, April 8
The Meaning of Democracy: a moderated panel
Panel discussion on the historical and contemporary meaning(s) of democracy. Moderated by CSU professors Martin Carcasson and David McIvor.
Panelists:
- Dr. Nick Davis (University of Alabama)
- Kermit Roosevelt, J.D. (University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School)
- Dr. Rachel Sigman (University of Denver)
LSC Ballroom B
4 – 5:15 pm
Free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
Keynote Conversation with W. Kamau Bell and President Parsons: Race, Culture, and Democracy
LSC Ballrooms C and D
Doors open 6 pm
Program begins 6:45 pm
W. Kamau Bell is an Emmy and Peabody award-winning comedian, director, and producer. He will be in conversation with President Parsons about race, culture, and democracy.
Free and open to the public. RSVP required. RSVP at https://csutix.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=1423
Co-sponsored by Ram Events
Tuesday, April 9
Indigenous Governance Traditions: Native Nationhood, Sovereignty, and Democracy
LSC Longs Peak Room
11 am – 1 pm
Join us for a discussion of democracy with respect to Indigenous governance practices and barriers to U.S. political participation encountered by Native Americans. Featuring Allison Nesswood, Navajo attorney in Boulder, Colo. and member of the Native American Rights Fund, and Jordan Dresser from the Wind River Reservation.
Neswood, an advocate for social justice and equitable policy, is an expert in the field of health policy and healthcare justice. Dresser was the previous Chairperson of the Northern Arapaho Business Council and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.
Moderated by CSU professor Doreen Martinez and CSU students.
Free and open to the public. Lunch provided.
Wednesday, April 10
Screening of The 5 States of Colorado and post-film conversation
In 1861, the U.S. Congress carved Colorado’s boundaries representing no river, mountain range, tribe, or language group to enclose five distinct areas that are now Southern Colorado; Western Colorado; the Eastern Plains; the Front Range along the eastern face of the mountains; and Metropolitan Denver. Each of these regions vastly differs in terms of populations, communities, cultures, communications, and economies that have evolved from their varied geography and histories.
The documentary is produced by Colorado Humanities and HaveyPro Cinema.
Following the film, we will have a moderated discussion with several Colorado leaders.
Guests:
- Executive Director of History Colorado Dawn DiPrince
- Former State Senator Russell George
- Panel moderator Dr. Derek Everett, Senior Instructor, History Department
LSC Theatre
6:30 – 9 pm
Free and open to the public.
Thursday, April 11
Welcome Breakfast and Student Mixer: Developing Cross University Connections
University Ballroom
9:30 – 10:45 am
Free breakfast!
This event is a great opportunity to meet and mingle with students from all backgrounds interested in democracy related issues. Grab breakfast, ask questions, gain insight, and make connections with students from CSU and other visiting universities!
Practicing Democracy Open House and Civic Skill Building Workshops
LSC Never No Summer
11 am – 3 pm
In an open house format, students and staff from the Center for Public Deliberation will host a collection of short, facilitated processes focused on mini-dialogues about a variety of issues and civic-skill building exercises. New discussions will start every 15 minutes from 11am to 3pm, with multiple options available at all times.
No RSVP needed. Show up when you can.
Democracy at CSU Panels
LSC 372-390
11 am – 3:30 pm
Choose from one of three panels during each time slot.
- 11 am – 12:15 pm
- Engaging Rural Voices in Democracy (LSC 372-374)
- Democracy and Climate (LSC 376-378)
- Faith and Democracy: Students Reflect on the Power of Multifaith and Belief Engagement (LSC 390)
- 12:30 – 1:45 pm
- Erosion of Rights Creative Workshop (LSC 372)
- Climate Adaptation in Global Perspectives, co-sponsored by the Africa Center (LSC 376-378)
- Workplace Democracy – Perspectives from Colorado Educators (LSC 390)
- 2 – 3:15 pm
- Queering Democracy: Strategies for Engagement (LSC 372-374)
- American Voices: Demanding Democracy in U.S. History (LSC 376-378)
- Democracy and Local Journalism: Challenges and Emerging Opportunities (LSC 390)
No RSVP required.
Documentary Screening: Join or Die
Lyric Cinema
5 – 7 pm
Dr. Robert Putnam coined the phrase “social capital.” This documentary covers the ways in which our country is declining in our social capital because we join organizations less than we used to. Based on Putnam’s book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.
Reception after film. 6:45 – 7:15 pm
Includes soft drinks and light snacks.
Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oDVf8sOG9w
Free and open to the public. RSVP required. RSVP at https://www.lyriccinema.com/movie/join-or-die
Furniss Lecture: The Lessons and Legacies of the Civil War for American Democracy
Lyric Cinema
7 – 9 pm
Dr. Jeremi Suri, author of Civil War By Other Means, will explore the enduring political divisions, racial strife, and insurgent violence that followed from events after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. Exploring this history helps us to understand the roots of our current world and design alternative pathways forward.
Free and open to the public. RSVP required. RSVP at https://www.lyriccinema.com/movie/conversation-with-jeremy-suri-author-of-civil-war-by-other-means-
Sponsored by the Department of History and the CSU History Club
Friday, April 12
Democracy Expo
LSC Never No Summer
9 am – 12:30 pm
Visit with on-campus and off-campus organizations who work on different elements of democracy. Students are invited to find multiple ways to get involved.
Rosa González: Living into a deep democracy: practices for reclaiming citizenship
LSC University Ballroom
9-10:45 am
From the Movement Strategy Center, Rosa González will lead 60 people in practices to reclaim citizenship.
Free and open to the public. RSVP required. RSVP at https://col.st/dIIQn
Risk: Perception, Communication, and Democracy
LSC Room 226-228
12 – 1 pm
Guest speaker Dr. Vinnie Paglioni will talk about how perceiving and communicating about risk are critical elements of our democratic system, including how the perception of risk among the public differs in significant ways from the formal analysis of risk by experts, and six main characteristics of good risk communication. Two approaches to risk analysis in a democratic system will be presented to spark a discussion on the role of the public in risk assessment.
Sponsored by the Department of Systems Engineering
Free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
Closing keynote: Dr. Robert Putnam: The Erosion of American Democracy and the Upswing
LSC University Ballroom
1 – 2 pm
Robert Putnam is the retired Malkin Research Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University. He has received numerous awards for his teaching and research, including the National Humanities Medal in 2013. He is the author of 15 books, including Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, among the most cited and bestselling social science books in the last half century.
Putnam’s work from Bowling Alone is the subject of the film Join or Die, being screened on Thurs. April 11 at Lyric Cinema.
Free and open to the public. No RSVP required.
