International observers have warned the United States is experiencing “democratic backsliding” as the nation faces unprecedented threats from increased polarization, both in and out of the political sphere. To save our democracy, we need to find a way out of this intractable conflict.

The Pell Center will host its inaugural conference on U.S. polarization, to explore the causes and impacts of polarization and to identify applied conflict resolution techniques to create a more unified America. The half-day conference with begin with an interdisciplinary panel and conclude with a keynote address from Peter Coleman, professor of psychology at Columbia University and author of The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization.