Bridging the Divide: Forging the Ties Between Rural and Urban America Conference
Where: The University of Chicago Institute of Politics
When: April 10th-12th, 2024
The University of Chicago Institute of Politics is hosting a conference April 10-12th called Bridging the Divide: Forging the Ties between Rural and Urban America, focused on addressing the rural/urban divide, particularly through the lens of interdependence on shared challenges. We are covering topics such as social infrastructure, economic disinvestment, the erosion of local news, the loneliness epidemic, faith and secularism, and more.
David Axelrod, Beth Macy, Manu Raju, Mary Louise Kelly, Eboo Patel, Sarah Smarsh, Tim Alberta, and Heidi Heitkamp are some of the confirmed speakers for the conference. We are also hosting twenty student delegations who will do site visits to local non-profits here on the south side of Chicago and participate in civil discourse training.
The conference will feature a panel on food and agricultural policy issues across urban and rural areas featuring John Boyd Jr., President of the National Black Farmers Association, Ertharin Cousin, former Executive Director of the World Food Programme, and Janie Hipp, CEO/President of Native Agricultural Financial Services, moderated by Monica Eng.
You can register and find more information here.