Cambridge Foundation For Peace

THE CAMBRIDGE FOUNDATION BEGAN 2021 FOCUSED ON ADVANCING OUR VALUES AND GOALS BY USING OUR LIMITED STAFF AND FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER FOUNDATIONS AND NGOS, HERE AND ABROAD, ON JOINT PROJECTS THAT ADVANCED THESE CORE ISSUES OF CONCERN:1) HOW TO SUPPORT DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND VALUES;2) HOW TO REDUCE POVERTY, INEQUALITY, AND ARMED CONFLICT GLOBALLY;3) HOW TO STRENGTHEN CITIZENSX AND NGOS' CAPACITIES TO RESOLVE SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES;4) HOW TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE GLOBAL NETWORKS FOR SOCIAL CHANGE.

RESISTANCE SCHOOL LAUNCHED IN THE WAKE OF THE 2016 ELECTION, OUR RESISTANCE SCHOOL PROJECT -- INITIATED AND DESIGNED TO WORK PRIMARILY ONLINE, WAS QUITE ACTIVE IN 2020, A YEAR OF TUMULTUOUS ELECTORAL CAMPAIGNS. BUT EVEN IN 2021, WITHOUT A PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE WEBSITE SAW TREMENDOUS TRAFFIC -- OVER 300,000 UNIQUE VISITORS JAN-SEPT. BORN FROM A GROWING CONCERN ABOUT POLARIZATION IN AMERICAN POLITICS AND PUBLIC LIFE, AND A SENSE THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BEING ALIENATED FROM POLITICS AND PUBLIC SERVICE, A GROUP OF HARVARD GRADUATE STUDENTS TRAINED BY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR PARKER ORGANIZED THE RESISTANCE SCHOOL IN SPRING 2017. AN ONLINE TRAINING PROGRAM IN WHAT PERICLES CALLED "THE ARTS OF DEMOCRACY", THE RESISTANCE SCHOOL OFFERS A BROAD ARRAY OF INTRODUCTORY COURSES DESIGNED TO TEACH THE SKILLS NECESSARY FOR ORDINARY CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE AS A SUPPORTER, ORGANIZER, AND CANDIDATE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. PRAISED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, CNN, AND TIME MAGAZINE FOR ITS BOLD INNOVATIVE APPRO

THE SYMI SYMPOSIUM WORKING WITH THE PAPANDREOU FOUNDATION, CFP CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE SYMI SYMPOSIUM (HTTP://WWW.SYMISYMPOSIUM.ORG/), WHERE GLOBALLY-FOCUSED PROGRESSIVE IDEAS AND POLICIES ARE PRESENTED, AND CONNECTIONS MADE THAT STRENGTHEN THE GLOBAL PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY. SYMI SYMPOSIUMS HAVE LONG ATTRACTED PROGRESSIVE ELECTED POLITICAL LEADERS, NGO HEADS, ACADEMICS, AND JOURNALISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD. CELEBRATING ITS 22ND GATHERING IN JULY, WITH CAREFUL SOCIALLY-DISTANCING, A CORE GROUP CONVENED IN LAGOUNISSI, JUST OUTSIDE OF ATHENS, WHILE THE GREAT MAJORITY (150+) OF THE PARTICIPANTS JOINED THE CONFERENCE ONLINE. THE FOCUS WAS ON PREPARING FOR THE POST-COVID CRISIS PERIOD AND THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL DISLOCATIONS THE WORLD WILL FACE. THE CONFERENCE AGENDA IS HERE: HTTP://WWW.MATRIX24.GR/WP-CONTENT/UPLOADS/2021/07/SYMI-2021-DRAFT-AGENDA-W_SESSIONS-SPEAKERS-REV5JUL21-1.PDF AS IT HAS IN THE PAST, CFP PLAYED A CRUCIAL ROLE IN DESIGNING THE 2021 PROGRAM AGENDA, AND IN IDENTYING AN