Defending Our Democracy: Humanist Discussion with Franco Caliz (Zoom)

with Franco Caliz-Aguilar, President of the South Dade Dems Club

Our series on Democracy continues Wednesday, February 16,  7:00-8:30 p.m.

Franco currently serves as the Co-Director of Electoral Powerbuilding at Community Change Action. He got an early start in politics by volunteering during John Kerry’s Presidential campaign and working on his first congressional campaign at the age of 16. In 2010 he graduated cum laude from Florida International University with a degree in Political Science and where he served as President of the College Democrats. Franco served as the inaugural political director for the funding outfit Way to Win. He had previously been at Community Change as an Electoral Organizer. Franco has worked at Leadership for Educational Equity, Democracy for America, SEIU and began his career as a World and US history teacher through Teach for America in Denver, Colorado. Franco lives in Miami, Florida where he was born and raised.

Click here to join on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/91962764016

Suggested readings/video before the Discussion:

An excellent historical video overview of the nature of democracy in the U.S. : https://www.pbs.org/video/preserving-democracy-pursuing-a-more-perfect-union-xpblv8/

The U.S.’s ranking amongst democracies has fallen:  https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2019/03/05/why-is-american-democracy-danger/

Why a robust democracy is good for business: https://www.brookings.edu/research/is-democracy-failing-and-putting-our-economic-system-at-risk/

An examination of the January 6 coup as harbinger of things to come: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/01/january-6-insurrection-trump-coup-2024-election/620843/

An Arizona story on saving democracy through public records: https://newrepublic.com/article/165152/arizona-cyber-ninjas-audit-guys-save-democracy

Check out our Humanist Discussion playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZjVP5LxqMXiKr-DTWZsRYWySOiWwdbBk

This Bi-Monthly Discussion is co-hosted by UUMiami Humanists and the Secular Humanists of Miami and takes place every third Wednesday of every other month.