Renew Democracy Initiative

RDI was founded in 2017 in the months following the 2016 United States presidential election to strengthen liberal democracy by bringing together the center-left and center-right.[1]

The chairman of RDI is Garry Kasparov and the president is historian Max Boot. Members of the board include journalist Anne Applebaum, and novelist Richard North Patterson.[2]

Over 120 prominent thinkers and leaders have signed RDI's manifesto promoting and defending the liberal-democratic order,[3] including Dambisa Moyo, Scott Turow, Larry David, Stephen Fry, José María Aznar, Norman Foster, Natan Sharansky, Mario Vargas Llosa, Bret Stephens, and Bill Kristol.[1][2] According to RDI's Values Statement "The core principles of liberal democracy that once defined a centrist political majority across the free world are being pulled apart as once fringe views from the left and right gain public acceptance... There is still a center in Western politics, and it needs to be revitalized — intellectually, culturally, and politically."[4]

In October 2018, RDI released its inaugural publication, Fight for Liberty. Taking inspiration from The Federalist Papers, the book features a collection of essays by contributors allied with RDI. Kirkus Reviews wrote, "The strongest point of this useful collection is the depth and breadth of its opposition to our current illiberal atmosphere...A valuable addition to the literature of democratic resistance."[5]

On March 14, 2019, RDI hosted a conference entitled "Reawakening the Spirit of Democracy" at Johns Hopkins University. Featured speakers included Democratic Senators Ben Cardin and Heidi Heitkamp, former Republican House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, political strategist Donna Brazile, and journalist Bret Stephens.[6]

In October 2019, RDI hosted a second event at Hunter College titled "Democracy in America: Is Everyone In?".[7] The conference addressed the current state of political polarization and extremism in the US, and featured RDI Chairman Garry Kasparov and CEO of Generation Citizen, Scott Warren.[8]

Renew Democracy Initiative's Board of Directors[9] include Garry Kasparov, Max Boot, Anne Applebaum, Senator Bob Kerrey, Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Ian Kahn, Igor Kirman, and Mark Lasswell. RDI's Advisory Board include Asha Rangappa, Bernard Henri-Levy, Bill Kristol, Bret Stephens, Dan Benton, Daniel Hurwitz, John Avlon, Karl-Theodor Zu Guttenberg, Larry Tribe, Lisa Berg, and Whitney Haring-Smith.