Virtual GameChanger Ideas Festival Series

Humanities North Dakota has gathered some of the nation’s most respected thinkers from across the political spectrum to present their solutions to critical issues facing our democracy during the GameChanger Ideas Festival starting January 14, and running through March 25, 2021. All events take place online and are free to attend. Issues covered will include the effect of social media on our democracy, election reform, social unrest, overcoming partisan division, the role of the Declaration of Independence today, and more.

January 14 – Is Social Media Destroying Our Democracy? With YAËL EISENSTAT former a CIA Officer, U.S. Diplomat, and special advisor to Vice President Biden.

January 21 – Can Political Innovation Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy? with Katherine M. Gehl, founder of The Institute for Political Innovation

February 4 – What Is The Future Of The Republican Party And Conservative Movement? With Peter Wehner, Vice President and Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center

February 14 – America Came Together a Century Ago. Can We Do It Again? With Shaylyn Romney Garrett coauthor of Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again with Robert Putnam

March 4 – Can Social Unrest Serve As A Democratic Institution? with Deva R. Woodly, author of The Politics of Common Sense: How Social Movements Use Public Discourse to Change Politics and Win Acceptance

March 25 – What Does the Declaration of Independence Mean Today? with Danielle Allen, James Bryant Conant University Professor at Harvard University and Director of Harvard’s Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics

HND Value Statement

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this {article, book, exhibition, film, program, database, report, Web resource}, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities or Humanities North Dakota.

However, in an increasingly polarized world, we at Humanities North Dakota believe that being open-minded is necessary to thinking critically and rationally.

Therefore, our programs and classes reflect our own open-mindedness in the inquiry, seeking, and acquiring of scholars to speak at our events and teach classes for our Public University.

To that end, we encourage our participants to join us in stepping outside our comfort zones and considering other perspectives and ideas by being open-minded while attending HND events featuring scholars who hold a variety of opinions, some being opposite of our own held beliefs.