(Mis)perceptions of "The Other" | Uriel Epshtein, Renew Democracy Initiative
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Uriel Epshtein is the executive director of the Renew Democracy Initiative (RDI), an organization that seeks to revitalize the political center by educating the American public about liberal democracy. Raised by Soviet Union refugees who lived in Israel before immigrating to the United States, Uriel’s family instilled in him a lifelong passion for reconciling people's perceptions of “the other."
In this episode we speak with Uriel about RDI and it’s spirited efforts to increase civic awareness and education and about the Peace and Dialogue Leadership initiative at Yale, an effort Uriel founded as a student to help bridge the civil-military divide. Connecting West Point cadets with college students at Yale, PDLI’s programming includes an annual eye-opening trip to both Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“It’s really hard to vilify ‘the other’ when you know them on a personal level.”
Episode Notes:
The political center is fighting back, The Washington Post, April 2018
Garry Kasparov Says We Are Living in Chaos, But Remains an Incorrigible Optimist, The New Yorker, Dec. 2018
Diverse lineup of thought leaders to discuss future of democracy, The Hub, March 2019
Peace and Democracy Leadership Initiative, Yale and the World