The University & Democratic Guardrails Conversation Series

If you want do your part to protect freedom, democracy and rule of law, we have a free zoom conversation series designed to support you. It is open to all.

The ability for people to meaningfully protest and vote is important to you. You sense danger but you are not clear on a practical plan for what you can do about it.

You don’t need to be a wealthy person, a celebrity, or a renowned scholar of authoritarianism to play an important role.
We develop resources to guide one another to make meaningful contributions. We connect people so we can amplify one another's voices.

You just need one wise next step—and people to cooperate with.

You found the right place.

Democracy Defense Network Campaign (DDNC)

You will get an opportunity to learn from people who have the skills and knowledge to build the kind of movement that can keep a democracy alive, for example:

• Amanda Litman, founder of Run for Something, whose group has inspired 200,000 pro-freedom first-time candidates across all 50 states to run for state and local office
• Andrew Behar, CEO of As You Sow, arguably the nation's leader in shareholder advocacy and corporate engagement

At the core of our efforts is a series of conversations with people who have powerful insights in organizing to stop democratic backsliding and designing and rebuilding institutional integrity, when we get the chance.

Each session is designed to give us all concrete, realistic next steps we can take. We will also take on exploring critical innovative approaches to defending democracy at this crucial moment.

• Stop simply being worried and frustrated.
• Start acting with clarity and in coordination.
• Leverage the formidable resources of university community networks, including student clubs, professional societies and alumni associations, better than you have even imaged.

The University and Democratic Guardrails Conversation Series exists to empower us to act in community.

This is a Zoom series for students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of university communities who want more than commentary.

You will leave with concrete plans and resources to help you implement those plans.

Creating clarity for effective action

Many people know that democratic guardrails are under strain. They see corruption, coercion, intimidation, attacks on key institutions, and the growing normalization of abusive of power.

What they do not usually see is a clear path forward, a way for them to make a meaningful difference.

Most of what’s available is abstract panel talk, or vague encouragement with little operational value.

This series is built for people who want something better:

Serious, grounded conversations that help university communities become exceptionally useful in a dangerous time.

What makes this different

These are not abstract panels.

Each conversation is moderated and action-oriented. The goal is to help people answer questions like:

• What can university communities do right now that would very much matter?
• What kinds of summer internships would meaningfully strengthen democratic guardrails?
• What can we build now that might make the difference at key moments?

Every session is meant to produce better clarity and relationships for better practical action.

Who this is for

This series is for:

• students who want meaningful, high-impact ways to help
• alumni who want to open doors, mentor, convene, fund, connect, and accelerate good work
• faculty and staff who want to contribute expertise, credibility, and networks
• neighbors and community members who care about freedom, humane government, and the rule of law
• anyone who wants to make common cause with a university–based pro-freedom organization

If you have influence, access, experience, resources, or simply a willingness to show up and learn, we are committed to finding a way to make your actions matter.

Especially for alumni and well-connected attendees

A single introduction, internship lead, funding conversation, guest suggestion, or strategic insight can change what becomes possible for a whole network of students and organizers.

What the sessions look like

• Frequency: about once per month during the active season
• Format: Zoom
• Style: focused, moderated, practical
• Audience: students, faculty/staff, alumni, and community members

A typical session includes:

1. a sharp framing of the problem,
2. a conversation with someone who has real experience,
3. practical discussion of what works and what backfires,
4. and clear next steps people can take afterward.

The kind of people you’ll hear from

Participants will meet and learn from serious, high-capacity leaders—people who have built organizations, shifted institutions, protected rights in difficult conditions.

The kinds of ideas we want to surface

This series is a place to identify and strengthen buildable projects.

That may include ideas such as:

• Hotline/support clearinghouse for people willing to blow the whistle on corruption uncluding unlawful power grabs
• public-interest summer work and democracy-protection internships
• research, media, and organizing projects that university communities could support
• ways to connect students with institutions defending rule of law
• ways alumni can fund, mentor, or accelerate high-leverage civic work

One possible capstone is a summer job fair for democracy work, where alumni and students connect around internships, projects, mentoring, and funding for public-interest work.

What you’ll leave with

You will leave with a combination of:

• a clearer understanding of what is happening
• a stronger sense of where you can personally fit in
• better ideas about what university communities can build or support
• relationships with a community doing serious work
• a more realistic path for summer and near-term contribution
• a sense that you are not alone—and that there are practical, useful things to do

Why attend now

This is not a moment to be a spectator.

When democratic guardrails are under pressure, university communities should not merely observe and document. They should become places where people learn how to protect freedom, lawful government, and humane treatment—together, in practical terms.

That is the purpose of this series.

The invitation

If you are a student, alum, faculty member, staff member, or neighbor who wants to be useful in this moment, we would love to have you with us.

And if you are an alum or other attendee with strong connections, resources, or unusual reach, your presence could be especially valuable.