The Sagamore Institute Center for America’s Purpose (CAP) and the Atlantic Council convened a roundtable conference at Sagamore December 6, 2018, to promote the Atlantic Council’s Democratic Order Initiative. The conference was keynoted by U.S. Ambassador Daniel Fried, Distinguished Fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative and Eurasia Center.
As part of the Atlantic Council’s efforts to reach beyond the Washington Beltway, the conference brought together a select group of leaders from civil society, business, the military, academia, education, and government from across Indiana for a conversation about themes that should be included in a “Declaration of Principles” that will guide the Democratic Order Initiative.
Ambassador Fried delivered insightful and inspiring remarks on the rationale for the project. Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Ash Jain provided an overview of how the Atlantic Council is implementing the initiative, along with a call to action challenging organizations here in the Heartland to play a role. Sagamore President Jay Hein and CAP Director Alan Dowd offered insights on how the initiative—and the broader issue of democratic order—impact America’s Heartland. And participants engaged in a lively discussion about America’s role in sustaining the democratic order that sustains America. To listen to an audio podcast of the event, click here. (The program begins at the 3:00 mark; Ambassador Fried’s remarks begin at 23:00; the roundtable discussion begins at 46:20.)
Co-chaired by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, the Atlantic Council’s Democratic Order Initiative aims to identify and articulate the fundamental values and principles necessary to maintain American leadership and a rules-based, democratic order in the decades ahead. These principles include democratic governance, free and open markets, and the rule of law. Since the end of World War II, the United States and other democracies have drawn on these principles to advance freedom, expand prosperity, promote security and build a better world. However, this rules-based, democratic order does not run on autopilot and is not self-sustaining. It depends on the world’s democracies deterring aggressive states, enforcing international norms of behavior, and serving as civilization’s last line of defense. When democratic powers fail to carry out these tasks, the consequences are grim and far-reaching, as we have seen in recent years.
As a strong advocate for U.S. promotion of the goals and principles of a democratic international order, Sagamore welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with the Atlantic Council in an ongoing partnership to advance this important project. To find out more, we invite you to email us.
