SLC, Navesink Rooms
Parking Lot 7 to the Student Life Center
MAP

Imagining the World We Want: An Artist Conversation
John Dias, Former Artistic Director, Tow River Theater

Before we examine the practical work of defending democracy, we begin with the imagination that makes democracy possible. Structured as an open conversation with Angela Kariotis, John Dias reflects on the unique role of theater and the arts in civic life. Together, they’ll explore how storytelling helps us confront difficult truths, expand empathy, imagine alternative futures, and resist the forces of fear, silence, and authoritarianism. Theater has long served as both a mirror to society and a rehearsal space for democracy – inviting us to witness, question, and envision what is possible together. This conversation offers the philosophical and emotional foundation for the Civility Week that follows, reminding us that before we can build a more just society, we must first imagine one.

Courage, Community, Action: How We Defend Democracy in an Authoritarian Era?
Kerri Kennedy, community partner, Associate General Secretary for International Programs, American Friends Service Committee

Across the globe, the foundations of justice, peace, democracy, and human rights are being rapidly eroded. Communities facing censorship, repression, and shrinking civic space have developed powerful strategies to defend democracy. Those lessons are urgently relevant in the United States today. Drawing on more than twenty-five years of direct experience working in authoritarian and conflict-affected contexts across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America, Kerri Kennedy will offer a grounded, hopeful, and practical look at what we can do when democratic norms begin to erode. Through real-world stories, analysis, and interactive dialogue, participants will explore the warning signs of authoritarian creep, the role of courage and collective action, and how local communities can protect human rights and our democratic norms. Key learnings will include: how to recognize early indicators of democratic backsliding, what global case studies reveal about the power of organized communities, why collective action is crucial, and practical tools that anyone can use take action locally. This session invites all of us to see ourselves not as bystanders, but as essential defenders of democracy in a critical moment in the U.S.