Stephen Heintz to Co-Chair Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship

Rockefeller Brothers Fund President Stephen Heintz will co-chair a new committee to explore evolving concepts of citizenship and to examine how citizens interact with democratic institutions in an effort to promote increased civic participation in the United States.

The Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship, a project of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, will meet for the first time today, under the leadership of Heintz and fellow co-chairs Danielle Allen, professor and director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, and Eric Liu, founder of Citizen University and director of the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program. The nonpartisan, multidisciplinary commission will work to “deepen the dialogue around democracy, citizenship, and community, by emphasizing new forms of civic engagement and democratic practice—many of which have been made possible through new technologies.”

A complete list of commission members, representing a diverse array of backgrounds, disciplines, and perspectives, is available here.

While the current global political moment has made the value of an active citizenry increasingly visible, the importance of citizen engagement in advancing social change has long been interwoven throughout the RBF’s grantmaking programs in the U.S. and around the world. The Fund’s programs develop leaders, strengthen institutions, and build community through strategies that prioritize citizen participation, education, and organizing.