W&J Symposium on Democracy 2022: With Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine, W&J Students and Freedom House Consider Global Threats to Democracy
WASHINGTON, PA (February 24, 2022)—The 2022 Symposium on Democracy at Washington & Jefferson College could not have been more timely, said Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, adding that democracy currently finds itself “battered around the world.”
W&J Symposium on Democracy 2022: Historian Fred L. Johnson III, Ph.D. ties mob violence to democratic failure
WASHINGTON, PA (March 4, 2022)—In the United States, it can be difficult to acknowledge that America’s democratic republic has often failed to protect some groups of citizens. During February’s Symposium on Democracy at Washington & Jefferson College, that’s just what historian Fred. L. Johnson III, Ph.D. did.
W&J Symposium on Democracy 2022: International leaders Shaqaiq Birashk and Kerry McBride offer first-hand perspectives on the fall of Afghan democracy
WASHINGTON, PA (February 24, 2022)—When Shaqaiq Birashk, a former policy advisor on a USAID/DAI funded project with the Afghan government, had to leave Afghanistan suddenly in 2021 after the United States withdrew from in Kabul, she had to ask herself what went wrong with America’s 20-year effort to establish a democratic Afghan republic.
Symposium on Democracy Breakout Sessions Highlight W&J Student, Faculty Research
Washington & Jefferson College’s fourth annual Symposium on Democracy included breakout sessions hosted by W&J’s students and faculty members.
Leadership in Unprecedented Times: Mich. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson Speaks During Symposium on Democracy
WASHINGTON, PA (March 2, 2021)—As election officials across the country have ensured the integrity of the 2020 general election, they have faced intense political pressure and threats on their and their family members’ lives. Through all of this, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has been a thoughtful and leading voice in the national conversation…
Understanding White Supremacy: Author and historian Kathleen Belew reviews history of the white power movement in U.S. during Symposium on Democracy
WASHINGTON, PA (March 2, 2021)—To say we’re living in divisive times is putting it mildly. In an examination of recent history incorporating her research as a “historian of the present,” Kathleen Belew discussed the recent rise in prominence of the white power movement in the United States and the history of the fringe movement from…
Freedom on the Net: Adrian Shahbaz Shares Global Overview of Human Rights in the Digital Age
WASHINGTON, PA (March 2, 2021)—“Freedom on the Net – A Global Overview of Human Rights in the Digital Age” was the topic of a talk by Adrian Shahbaz, Director of Technology and Democracy at Freedom House, during Washington & Jefferson College’s fourth annual Symposium on Democracy, held Feb. 17, 2021. Shahbaz presented findings from Freedom…
Capturing History: Symposium on Democracy speaker Pat Benic ’70 reflects on career, recalls experience at Jan. 6 insurrection
WASHINGTON, PA (March 2, 2021)—It was supposed to have been the easy job. At least, that’s what Pat Benic ’70 thought when he went to work on Jan. 6, 2021, to photograph congress certifying the votes in the 2020 Presidential Election. On Feb. 17, Benic retold his experience from that day to a virtual audience…
Going Underground: Nathan Law returns to W&J Symposium on Democracy to talk about Hong Kong updates, his exile, and the next steps for the Umbrella Movement
WASHINGTON, PA (March 2, 2021)—What a difference a year makes. In his second appearance at Washington & Jefferson College’s annual Symposium on Democracy, activist Nathan Law noted some of the changes that have taken place in Hong Kong and in the world since his 2020 talk—global pandemic notwithstanding. “Last year, I came to W&J’s campus…
Hits and Misses: 2021 Symposium on Democracy was a hit
This year’s symposium, which happened virtually Wednesday, felt particularly pertinent in the wake of the controversies surrounding coronavirus restrictions. The college should be commended for putting together this thought-provoking forum.