Democracy Forum 2024

Understanding how culture shapes our sense of belonging and fosters meaningful connections.

“Movies, sports, or theater—these are all experiences that require us to check ourselves at the door and feel the same thing for a minute in a world that's so tribal. We all get to root for the same thing.” – Ryan Reynolds, Actor and Entrepreneur 

“The ideas and opinions always come from a place of respect. At the end of the day, it's important to respect people who don't act like you do. You can also respect people from afar– always engage with them, but agree with what you want to agree with and disagree with the things that you don't.” – Reyna Roberts, Country Star

Civic Nation shares its Change Collective (Opens in a new tab) curriculum to explore how rising polarization impacts relationships and democracy in local and community settings.

What have you seen as successful strategies for fostering empathy and finding common ground in local communities, especially around conflicting issues?

"It’s about being curious—curious about others, your own perspective, and where tensions might exist. It’s about imagining what’s possible when we move beyond those tensions. Instead of focusing only on our own views, it’s vital to consider the other person’s perspective and seek common ground. While we may think we’re empathetic, true empathy requires stepping back and broadening our view.” – Monica Swope, Entrepreneur

"Storytelling is crucial. Often, we shy away from sharing our stories because they can be painful, traumatic, or embarrassing. But as I heard here today, if you don’t tell your story, you lack the content needed to fight for change. Storytelling equips us with the ammunition to make a difference." – Elle Davis, Author and Entrepreneur

Members of the Obama Leadership Network share how they apply pluralism and foster inclusion worldwide through case studies that inspire and inform pathways for change.

What are some key takeaways from the session that you feel you’ll personally apply to your work right away?

“The panelist gave pointers on keeping something that's highly controversial in a pluralistic frame through co-facilitation instead of singular facilitation. This is something that I'm taking to heart more and thinking about in the work that I'm doing.” – Melanie Moore, Inova Energy Group

Thank you to the 2024 Democracy Forum sponsors including Connie Ballmer, Gwen Weiner, The MacArthur Foundation (Opens in a new tab), Capital One (Opens in a new tab), Katie and Brent Gledhill, The Joyce Foundation (Opens in a new tab), and The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Opens in a new tab).