John A. Pérez

In my latest The Arizona Republic | azcentral.com | La Voz article, I delve into the complex relationship between politics and violence in the US and Mexico and the forces that shape the electoral landscape on both sides of the border. From historical contexts to current events, I examine the underlying factors driving an increasingly polarizing climate that mirrors a global trend. https://lnkd.in/gzUbEE-a

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Check out this clip from our panel discussion about journalism in an age of extremism!

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Polarization, social tension and misinformation pose challenging barriers to effective reporting, making covering political violence a fraught endeavor. With OverZero, we created a suite of media guides for journalists to help them meet the challenge. https://lnkd.in/en3CvqzE

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On 7/12, NATRC Executive Director Dr. Castro Rodriguez spoke with other advocates about TRCs & CA penal code reform. Did you know that violent crime perpetrators may also be violent crime survivors? Violence is a cycle, and TRCs aim to break this cycle for all through #healing.

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Senior Washington Fellow Andrew Latham: "The 21st century demands a new approach to global governance, one that reflects the realities of power and fosters cooperation in the face of shared challenges. The U.S., by leading the way in forging a new Concert of Powers, can ensure its continued role as a vital player on the world stage and help usher in a new era of international peace and prosperity." Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gBPFATUn

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Can the foreign policy of democratic states arrest the global decline of democracy? Check out this brilliant event, which kicks off the British International Studies Association conferences this year - All are welcome. 6.15pm, 4th June, 2024 The Assembly Room, The Exchange, 3 Centenary Square, Birmingham, B1 2DR Free - donations welcome. In the 1990s the foreign policy of many democratic states included an explicit commitment towards democracy promotion. This commitment is far less clear today, and critical analysis questions the extent to which Western “donors” ever truly prioritised democracy over other goals such as trade relations, security alliances and geo-strategic concerns. Recent research has also identified a number of ways – some intentional, some inadvertent – in which the “everyday engagement” of democratic states actively entrenches authoritarian regimes (Cheeseman and Desrosiers 2023). This panel asks what the connection is between foreign policy and global democratic decline, what considerations – both domestic and international – shape that foreign policy, and what needs to change for foreign policy to more effectively arrest the global decline of democracy. Speakers: Anthony Smith (CEO, Westminster Foundation for Democracy); Dame Melinda Simmons (former British Ambassador to Ukraine, FCDO); Kate Whyte (Head of Governance Profession at FCDO); Professor Catherine O’Regan (University of Oxford). Sponsor: CEDAR Chair: Professor Nic Cheeseman There will be a reception before the lecture begins: 6.15-7pm. Places are limited so early registration is advisable and necessary. Contact katie.burt@bisa.ac.uk https://lnkd.in/epV9qS4z

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Learn more about our Assistant Deputy Director of Communications opening below! 👇

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A Policy Brief and a Symposium, Oh My! -- On Middleware and Governing Online Discourse Days apart by coincidence, my wide-ranging policy brief published today, and next Tuesday brings an exciting symposium at Stanford that I helped organize -- both focus on middleware agent services and why we need them -- to re-envision the future of social media. The policy brief is "New Logics for Governing Human Discourse in the Online Era" - part of the Freedom of Thought Project at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). It expands on and updates my ongoing work (listed here) on these themes. It pulls together ideas about how freedom of impression guides freedom of expression without restricting it, and how combining 1) user agency, 2) a restored role for our traditional social mediation ecosystem, and 3) systems of social trust all combine to synergize that process for the online era. It offers a proactive vision of how that can enable social media to become ever more powerful and beneficial "bicycles for our minds." The symposium is "Shaping the Future of Social Media with Middleware" - to be held on April 30 at Stanford by the Foundation for American Innovation and the Stanford Cyber Policy Center. Leading thinkers at the nexus of social media, middleware, and public policy will delve into the complexities and potential of middleware as a transformative force. That is to lead to a comprehensive white paper that offers recommendations and a roadmap for developers, investors, and policymakers. We have high hopes for this ambitious effort to bring new insight and energy into shaping the future of human discourse for the good. Please do look at the policy brief, consider this broad vision that is gaining support, and stay tuned for reports on the Stanford/FAI symposium and where it leads. (https://lnkd.in/edbJzgyD)

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Is climate change an LGBTQ+ rights issue? You bet! In our new report from The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, my co-author Lindsay Mahowald and I use U.S. Census data, along with climate risk data from FEMA and NASA, to show that same-sex couples are more vulnerable to the negative effects of climate change. We find not only that LGBT people in same-sex couple households disproportionately live in coastal areas and cities that face greater risk of weather events like flooding or extreme heat, but they live in areas with poorer infrastructure and have less access to resources, compounding the negative effects of climate disasters. Climate change exacerbates existing disparities, and we know that LGBT people are more likely than straight people to face discrimination, live in poverty, and experience food insecurity. Climate change policies, including disaster preparedness, response, and recovery plans, must address these specific needs and vulnerabilities. Read more findings and recommendations in our report below.

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Join NIDA for the next HIV Seminar with Dr. Ricky Bluthenthal, Distinguished Professor of Population and Public Health Sciences at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, who conducts community-partnered research at the intersection of harm reduction and health disparities among people who use drugs and will present on “Social and Political Determinants of #HIV among People Who Use Drugs.” https://lnkd.in/e4FYCeiC

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Traffic violence is rising in Los Angeles and across the country and in this new UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies brief with Tamika L. Butler, Esq., we show how the racial demographics of who is affected are getting worse as well. Between 2013 and 2017, one in four traffic deaths in LA was a Black or Latino pedestrian, and now between 2018 and 2022, that stat has jumped to one in three. More analysis and our ideas on what to do about these preventable deaths here https://lnkd.in/gK8YJVsQ

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Yesterday, International Center for Law & Economics and the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation filed an amicus in the 8th Circuit opposing the FCC's new "digital discrimination" rules. "The Order will not only stifle new deployment to unserved areas, but also will delay network upgrades and maintenance out of fear of alleged disparate effects." A summary of our arguments are on Truth on the Market. https://lnkd.in/gu3d3jKC

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It's Forum on the Arms Trade annual conference time the first week of June, so you know what I'm up to... planning and promoting (and you might even see me on the screen). I'm biased, of course, but think we have some really interesting panels set up asking whether restraint on the arms trade is out the door, or if there are actually opportunities for better control given all the attention these days. Sign up and spread the word.

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Aside from voting, public comments are one of the best tools the public has to directly contribute to and participate in our democracy. UCS's Anita Desikan breaks down our top four suggestions for how agencies can improve public participation in rulemaking. #democracy #CivilEngagement

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An amazing group of experts on the judiciary speak to me in this episode. Fida Hammami on Tunisia, Stanley on Poland and Kathryn Sikkink on, well, everywhere!

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Check out my latest Religion & Global Affairs newsletter. I break down the recent Pew Research Center report on religion and highlight areas of concern and possibilities. https://lnkd.in/dWkibfgE

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The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 today that anti-camping laws in Grants Pass, Oregon, do not qualify as “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment, in what some have called the most significant case involving homelessness in decades. The decision guides how #cities nationwide can respond to record-high #homelessness and #encampments. Read more at Smart Cities Dive:

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