Society Archives | Reset DOC

January 6 marks the fourth anniversary of an unprecedented attack on the United States Capitol and American democracy. Far more than advancing “the lie” about a stolen 2020 election, the insurrectionists of January 6 presented the world with an alternative understanding of America, one arising from fears of white replacement and steeped in Christian nationalist ideas and imagery. Despite being the only twice impeached U.S. president and a convicted felon, Donald Trump not only won the last election, but also gained majorities in both the Senate and the House and made inroads into Asian, Black, and Latino American communities that typically vote Democrat. These facts should prompt us to reframe January 6 not as a shameful setback for MAGA, but as a catalyst for the movement’s onward march. To what kind of America will Trump 2.0 take us? This is where a comparative lens can be useful.

PublicationsSociety

Special Issue: Venice Seminars 2020; Communities and the Individual: Beyond the Liberal-Communitarian Divide This volume gathers the articles presented at the 2020 ResetDOC Venice Seminars, which were held online from May 25 to May 29, 2020. The 2020 Venice Seminars addressed the topic of “Communities and the Individual: Beyond the Liberal-Communitarian Divide” Editors: Alessandro Ferrara, Volker Kaul and David Rasmussen Download the pdf version here.

Our Initiatives Society

The international association Reset Dialogues on Civilizations has launched the Reset Seminars of Pluralism in the Middle East and North Africa, a yearly international program on cultural and religious pluralism and political liberties. The purpose is to promote a local intellectual response to the rise of rigorist strands of Islamic thought by training 40 emerging opinion-leaders on the relationship between religion, history and power and to contribute to the reawakening of pluralistic traditions in Muslim contexts.

The current political situation in Post-Soviet countries, primarily the Russian Federation, raises questions about the cultural roots of today’s prevailing nationalist political ideologies and behaviours. The international scientific community has to overcome the lack of knowledge about Russia’s Post-Soviet history, also in order to avoid the sheer repetition of old clichés – liberal -western opinions versus a despotic-eastern world

Videos Society

How did religion shift from fueling division to fostering dialogue in post-war Bosnia-Herzegovina? Reset DOC’s upcoming documentary explores the pivotal role of faith in reconciliation and peacebuilding. Catch the trailer now and stay tuned for the full release!

ConveningSociety

January

2025

Rome, Italy

This international conference will address the critical challenges facing liberal democracies. It will explore their failure to respond effectively to the anxieties and needs of citizens grappling with globalization, precarious employment, demographic changes, and social dislocation. These issues, amplified by populist rhetoric and the perceived indifference of liberal elites, have led to growing polarization, weakened societal cohesion, and ideological stagnation in politics.

December

2024

Online

Is Donald Trump’s electoral success a sign of authoritarian decline in American democracy, or is it a response to the Democratic Party’s failure to deliver on its promises? Daron Acemoglu recently argued the latter, suggesting the Left has focused too narrowly on cultural recognition at the expense of material protections. This neglect of the social order’s material foundations has deepened tensions, fueling “culture wars.” Shifting focus away from these conflicts toward social protections to tackle global crises is a compelling idea—but is it feasible, and how might it be achieved?

October

2024

Boston College

The Clough Center for Constitutional Democracy at Boston College is screening, for the first time, two short documentaries by Reset DOC on the role of religion in reconciliation and peacebuilding. 1. Religion and Reconciliation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and hte Balkans and 2. The Case of the Russia-Ukraine Conflict and the Role of the Orthodox Church. Directed by Filippo Macelloni, these timely 25-minute films analyze the role of religion in peace-making efforts in the context of the wars in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Ukraine-Russia. Historical background and expert interviews are interwoven in an informative and engaging viewing experience.