Democracy Dialogues: If You Can Keep It

Event Details

Doors Open: 8:30am
Program Begins: 9:00am

Reserve your seat today. Space is limited.

Join us for a discussion on why truth is so important and why people are willing to risk everything for it.

The inaugural event, co-presented with URL Media, will feature two conversations exploring the fight for democracy, the role of journalism, and the experiences of Afghan women in the years following the Taliban's return to power. 

New York Public Radio President & CEO Christy Tanner will speak with Adela Raz, Director of Princeton University's Afghanistan Policy Lab, the last ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States and the first woman to serve as Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations. 

This will be followed by a conversation featuring URL Media co-founder S. Mitra Kalita and Rebecca Blumenstein, President of Editorial at NBC News and co-author of The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America. Through the lenses of diplomacy, storytelling, and global affairs, these conversations will examine what is at stake when women's voices are excluded from public life and why these issues continue to resonate around the world.

About the Speakers

Adela Raz is Director of Princeton University's Afghanistan Policy Lab, the last ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States and served as Afghanistan's Ambassador to the United Nations from 2020 to 2021. A leading voice on diplomacy, democracy, and women's rights, she has dedicated her career to advancing international cooperation and advocating for the people of Afghanistan.

Rebecca Blumenstein is President of Editorial at NBC News and co-author of The Last Free Women: A Daring Escape from Afghanistan and Coming of Age in America, which highlights four exceptional young women who, having escaped the fate of their fellow countrywomen back home, now face the challenges of forging a new life in a new land, a new language and a new culture. An accomplished journalist and newsroom leader, she has spent decades covering global affairs and shaping news organizations, bringing a unique perspective on journalism, leadership, and the stories of Afghan women navigating extraordinary change.