Inclusive Immigration and Democratic Revival in a Rust Belt City
We are excited to announce that our project, “Inclusive Immigration and Democratic Revival in a Rust Belt City,” has been funded by the Mellon Foundation. Read our press release here.
This project examines whether new immigrants and refugees create the opportunity for democratic revival in cities suffering from economic decline, political polarization, and racial tensions. A central objective of the project is to identify promising innovations for strengthening democratic systems and to share these findings with other communities. Through respectful dialogue with community members within museums, bazaars, and civic organizations, this project focuses on the local democratic practices that push a community towards inclusion and renewal rather than exclusion and collapse.
Research findings will be discussed and publicized in the form of academic articles, workshops on topics related to democracy, diversity and inclusion, as well as a series of community engagement initiatives to help translate this academic work into civic practice.
For further information on this grant and related activities, please contact the principal investigator, Alexandra Oprea (aoprea@buffalo.edu).