Democracy Conference Schedule

Allen Hertzke (University of Oklahoma)
“Why Religious Freedom Matters: Human Rights and Human Flourishing”

New global research powerfully links religious freedom to democracy, human rights, economic flourishing, empowerment of women, uplift for the poor, and peace.  A key finding of this research suggests that these healthy outcomes are undermined when religion is privileged by state power, not just when it is repressed. This “curse of privilege” offers cautionary lessons for Christians participating in American democracy in the 21st Century, with profound implications for the fate of global democracy.

Respondent: Judd Birdsall (Georgetown University)

Tal Howard (Lilly Foundation)
Conference Sponsor Welcome

Nicole Bibbins Sedaca (Bush Institute)
“Freedom in a Changing Global Landscape”

Global freedom has been in recession for two decades.  Scholars and policymakers are asking whether this recession matters, and if so, what reverses this trend.  Concurrently, the liberal world order, which was built on democratic norms, is changing rapidly, leaving open the question what will follow.  This presentation will focus on the drivers of this recession, implications for the global community, and how to think about democratic norms within the context of the changing global order. 
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Respondent: Ruth Melkonian-Hoover (Gordon College)