Democracy 101: A Series of Critical Conversations

Posted on February 8, 2018

The Community Service Learning Center strives to bring you learning opportunities that are centered around democratic learning and civic engagement. The Democracy 101 series invites all Lakers to take time out of their day to absorb and reflect on the importance of democracy in our communities.

So far this semester, we’ve heard from Dr. Charles Pazdernik and Dr. David Crane (Classics Dept.) on democracy in Classical Athens, as well as from Dr. Darren Walhof (Political Science Dept.) on same-sex marriage and religious liberty.

Reviews from the Winter 2018 Democracy 101 events include:

“It was a great discussion, and they should talk about these things more often!”

“I felt it fostered some of the best political discussion I've heard in a long time.”

“I enjoyed the session. I think the contribution of the presenters was very valuable.”

Democracy 101 Seminar

Coming up at Democracy 101:

Disentangling from the U.S. Argument Culture: Keeping it Real about the "Sticking Points"

Dr. Lisa Perhamus

Wednesday, Feb 14

This session dares to speak candidly about this historical moment’s intensified argument culture and urgently calls for us to practice civil discourse skills together. Daring to dialogically share and listen, we will collectively “dig deep” into our own narratives to better understand the narratives of societal structures.

Human Rights and the Promise of Democracy

Dr. Karen Zivi

Wednesday, Feb 28

What are human rights and what role do they play in a democratic society like the United States? In this session, we will explore the historical importance of human rights in expanding equality and freedom in the U.S. and consider ways in which human rights continue to help advance social justice today.

Educating Toward Direct Democracy

Dr. Kevin Holohan

Wednesday, March 14

This session will explore the concept of direct democracy and the ways in which it is embraced and enacted in an alternative high school setting.  At the Dr. Pedro Albizu Campos High School, students are prepared for democratic participation and community engagement through practice!


Democracy 101 events are from noon - 1:30 p.m. in Kirkhof Center 2266. FREE pizza and great conversations are always available to those who attend. For more information visit the Community Service Learning Center, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. in KC 1108, or click here for the complete list of Democracy 101 events through the semester!



Page last modified January 4, 2019