The Nourishing Democracy project (2022–2024) bridges three symposia hosted by C21:
- Lonely No More!, exploring the making and unmaking of loneliness, isolation, and connectedness
- Nourishing Trust, exploring how food and land access inform trust and distrust in community building
- Trust & The Vote, focusing on the history and philosophy of trust and distrust in the democratic process.
The goal of Nourishing Democracy is to discuss and document how isolation, food and land access, and skepticism about democratic processes have influenced the trust-building that is integral to the success of democratic processes like voting in the United States.
Nourishing Democracy will unfold over the course of three academic years, with each year’s programming including roundtable discussions with national experts, interactive discussions, and community-driven experiential events.
Lonely No More!
Lonely No More! (LNM) is a series of programs exploring the making and unmaking of loneliness, isolation, and connectedness.
Nourishing Trust
The Nourishing Trust symposia focuses on how food acts as an anchor for trust-building relationships.
Trust & The Vote
Trust & The Vote is a series of events exploring the history and philosophy of trust and distrust in the democratic process. By exploring the history and rhetoric of civic engagement, the symposia addresses the challenge and balance of trust and skepticism as communities work toward sustaining democratic societies.