AMERICA-250-WHITE

Examining America’s Identity and Leadership in a Changing World

WWAC partnership with America250

America250 is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in commemorating the 250th anniversary of our country. This multi-year effort, from now through July 4, 2026, is an opportunity to pause and reflect on our nation’s past, honor the contributions of all Americans, and look ahead toward the future we want to create for the next generation and beyond.

WWAC partners with America250 Vermont in creating dialogue, reflection and understanding of our past and future as US citizens and residents through our lecture series and town hall gatherings.  Building on the theme, Examining America’s Identity and Leadership in a Changing World, we work with Brooks Memorial Library and local historian Dr. Meg Mott, with support from the Vermont Humanities Council to:

 

  • provide opportunities to pause and learn from our nation’s past
  • examine the long-term impacts of domestic and international policy choices
  • build understanding across divides leading up to 2026

Town Hall Meetings

Town Hall Meetings use the language found in the 1776 Declaration of Independence to elicit arguments from a diverse public on how those ideals can guide us toward strengthening democracy and our nation.

Are Bans on Homeless Encampments Unconstitutional?
May 15 | 6:30 PM
Are Bans on Homeless Encampments Unconstitutional?

This Town Hall considers the best arguments for and against the rights of unhoused persons to sleep in public places. Should all cities be restricted from enforcing no-camping ordinances in public parks? Do homeless encampments injure residents who depend on access to green spaces? Does the 8th Amendment even pertain to this situation?
Participants will have a chance to explore this complex issue with their neighbors and in the company of the Constitution as part of our ongoing America 250 exploration.


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Lecture Series

Informative, thought provoking lectures compliment Town Hall discussions by providing depth and understanding of different topics. The following are past and current lectures in the America250 partnership:

In September 2023,  kicked of the America 250 Speaker Series with our Annual Galbraith Lecture.

Dr. Alex More of UMass Boston
Apr 28 | 5:00 PM
Dr. Alex More of UMass Boston

Dr. Alexander More’s research focuses on the impact of climate change on population and ecosystem health and the economy. Dr. More is author of several landmark studies of the impact of climate on pandemics and pollution, and an active contributor to the fields of environmental health, health economics, sustainability and planetary health. By using ultra-high-resolution climatic, epidemiological, ecological and archeoscientific records, Dr. More brings recent drastic environmental changes into a broader perspective, one that allows stark comparisons between current and past trends in temperature, pollution, pandemic disease, and extreme weather, all of which directly impact food production, human health, economic prosperity, and political stability.


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The Sanctions Response to Russia
Jun 06 | 6:30 PM
The Sanctions Response to Russia

Dr. Abely is the author of The Russia Sanctions: The Economic Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine (Cambridge University Press 2023). Her op-eds have appeared in The L.A. Times, The Hill, and other outlets. She has been quoted in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and MarketWatch, among other outlets, and she has appeared on CBS 880, Boston Public Radio, Texas Public Radio, Bloomberg Businessweek, and elsewhere. Prior to working in academia, she practiced international trade and sanctions law.

Nearly two years on, sanctions have achieved neither their supporters’ wildest dreams nor their greatest fears. Yet that does not make the sanctions insignificant or uninteresting. Indeed, they spotlight many of the central networks, conflicts, and trends that define our world today. Christine Abely’s new book, The Russia Sanctions, offers us a timely guide to the multitude of sanctions and responses that followed Russia’s invasion. After an introduction to the legal and historical underpinning of sanctions and a short account of the invasion’s first week, Abely, a professor at New England Law in Boston, guides us through a series of themed chapters that explore issues like financial sanctions, oil and gas, oligarchs, food insecurity, and sanctions enforcement. … [B]y providing a valuable guide to their intricacies, Abely’s book helps us understand how the sanctions’ very complexity reflects both the nature of globalization and the gaps in the international rule of law.

This is a free public event. (Although there is a suggested donation of $10, no one will be turned away for lack of funds.)


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