Pete Davis
Pete Davis is a writer and civic advocate who drives projects aimed at deepening American democracy and solidarity. He is the co-founder of the Democracy Policy Network, a state policy organization focused on raising up ideas that deepen democracy.
His book Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing grew out of his 2018 Harvard Law School Commencement speech, which has garnered over 30 million online views. The book encourages the "slow but necessary work of turning visions into projects, values into practices, and strangers into neighbors." The New York Times raves about Dedicated: "He has planted a seed with this book. Now watch it grow."
In 2023, Davis co-produced a documentary on the life and work of his former teacher, civic guru Robert Putnam, the Harvard social scientist who coined the term 'social capital' and wrote Bowling Alone, a seminal book that foresaw the epidemic of loneliness America faces today. The award-winning film, Join or Die, follows America's civic unraveling and community decline while asking three questions:
What makes democracy work?
Why is American democracy in crisis?
What can we do about it?
In Join or Die, Davis carries forward the torch Putnam lit decades ago. He illuminates America's current state of democracy and the crucial role of civic participation in all its forms. The film was screened at the Clinton Presidential Center, The Aspen Institute, SXSW, and a number of prestigious film festivals.
Davis is also the co-founder of Getaway, a company that provides simple, unplugged escapes to tiny cabins outside of major cities. His book, How To Get Away: Finding Balance in our Overworked, Overcrowded, Always-On World, articulates Getaway’s philosophy of balancing technology and disconnection, city and nature, and work and leisure.
His opinion pieces have appeared in The New York Daily News, Aeon, The Guardian, Fast Company, America Magazine, and The Falls Church News-Press.
Topics
Purposeful commitment in an age of infinite browsing: How to foster real civic engagement for stronger communities and a healthier democracy
With no shortage of streaming platforms, dating apps, and job sites, it is easy to feel like we should always keep browsing, swiping, and holding out for the next best opportunity. But Pete Davis calls for a radical alternative: Dedication. Committing to "the slow but necessary work of turning visions into projects, values into practices, and strangers into neighbors" provides an antidote to the loneliness so pervasive in America today. This kind of purposeful commitment pushes back against a consumer culture of instant gratification which has taught Americans to take more than they give, and whose empty promises have hollowed out a deeper sense of belonging. In this talk Pete Davis uses examples from his own civic projects, and research from his book Dedicated and documentary Join or Die, to show how commitment builds community and improves civic engagement—and with it, our democracy.
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