In the face of rising authoritarianism and increasingly divided democracies, we are proud to pursue CPL’s mission to develop and inspire principled, effective public leadership that mobilizes collective action across differences with universal respect for human dignity.

In this edition of the CPL Closeup, we introduce you to work by Zoe Marks and Liz McKenna, two faculty affiliates whose research addresses resistance to authoritarianism from a global perspective. You will also learn about work by faculty and staff of CPL’s Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory to enhance the leadership and negotiation skills of democratic and civic leaders in Myanmar.

This fall, we are proud to host among our Hauser Leaders Leni Robredo, former Vice President of the Philippines, who has worked tirelessly to protect democracy and free press in her home country. See also below a link to an IOP Forum discussion between Washington Post foreign affairs expert David Ignatius and Deval Patrick on worldwide threats to democracy and America's global credibility as a democratic leader.

Bridging theory and practice through scholarship, education, and community is key to achieving CPL's mission. We are grateful to share these examples with you today.

In community,

Hannah Riley Bowles and Deval Patrick
Co-Directors, Center for Public Leadership

Former Philippines VP and CPL Hauser Leader discusses her anti-poverty NGO and the importance of transparency in leadership

Leni Robredo’s six-year term as vice president of the Philippines ended in June, after which she campaigned to succeed the controversial Rodrigo Duterte as president. Despite losing the election, Robredo built a national movement of passionate grassroots supporters who view her as a democratic champion of the Filipino people’s rights.

Now, Robredo is leveraging her experience to continue advocating for people in all corners of Filipino society. In July 2022, just weeks after leaving office, Robredo officially launched the Angat Buhay Foundation: a non-profit NGO that will grow the work Robredo began as vice president.

We spoke with Robredo, who is wrapping up an impactful fall semester as a Hauser Leader at CPL.

CPL program trains pro-democratic leaders in Myanmar as they struggle against military rule

Myanmar is facing an unthinkable challenge. 1.3 million people have been displaced, a food crisis is looming, and more than 13,000 children have been killed since the military overthrew the government. Under civil warfare and violent authoritarianism, pro-democratic voices are working to organize their survival and reestablish democratic rule.

The Negotiation and Conflict Resolution Collaboratory (NCRC) at CPL is supporting this process through its Executive Program for Civic Leaders, convening diverse cohorts of approximately 30 high-ranking members from various pro-democratic groups in Myanmar. Participants work on developing the capacity to exercise leadership and to negotiate effectively in complex and volatile contexts. The first iteration of the program yielded new alliance-building and outreach models by key organizations, all due to initiatives of graduates of the program.

As a spinoff of this work, NCRC is piloting a training and coaching program on adaptive leadership and community organizing. The program is supporting senior political leadership of pro-democracy forces in their effort to organize an effective response to Myanmar's military state.

Monica Giannone, NCRC Director
Rob Wilkinson, Lecturer in Public Policy and Leadership
Dana Born, Lecturer in Public Policy
Brian Mandell, Senior Lecturer in Negotiation and Public Policy
Anselm Dannecker, NCRC Senior Fellow
Ons Ben Abdelkarim, NCRC Fellow

FROM THE DIRECTORS' DESKS

FACULTY IN FOCUS

Trust and accountability: Leni Robredo on Angat Buhay

Former Philippines VP and CPL Hauser Leader discusses her anti-poverty NGO and the importance of transparency in leadership

GLOBAL DEMOCRACY AND AMERICAN LEADERSHIP

Negotiation and Leadership for Civil Society: Myanmar

CPL program trains pro-democratic leaders in Myanmar as they struggle against military rule