GWI Offering Archives - Good Work Institute

The Right of the People: an author talk with Osita Nwanevu

GWI is excited to welcome author & journalist Osita Nwanevu to Kingston for a talk highlighting his book, The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding. Join us at the GWI Greenhouse for an afternoon of conversation with Osita, followed by an audience Q&A.

In this urgent and visionary work, Nwanevu—a contributing editor for The New Republic and columnist for The Guardian—tackles questions that resonate deeply in our current moment: Are our democratic institutions fundamentally broken? How can a divided nation govern itself? Does democracy still work as we believe it should?

Drawing on democratic theory, American history, and contemporary politics, Nwanevu argues that genuine democracy requires transformation not only of our political institutions but of our economic systems as well. His work offers a bold roadmap for creating what he calls a “New American Founding”—one committed to government of, by, and for all people, not just the privileged few

Event Overview:

2:45 – 3:15pm Check-in, pick up your book, grab a drink/snack, and settle in! (coffee/snacks provided by Kingston Bread & Bar)
3:15-4:45pm Osita, in conversation with Micah, will discuss The Right of the People. They will then open it up to the audience for a Q&A
4:45- 5:00pm Book-signing + mingling!

About Osita Nwanevu:

Osita Nwanevu is a contributing editor at The New Republic, a columnist at The Guardian, and the Democratic Institutions fellow at the Roosevelt Institute. He is a former staff writer at The New Republic, The New Yorker, and Slate, and his work has also appeared in The New York Times, The New York Review of Books, The Nation, Harper’s Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, In These Times, Flaming Hydra, and Gawker. His first book, The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding, was published by Random House in August 2025.

About the book:

Frustrated with our political dysfunction, wearied by the thinness of contemporary political discourse, and troubled by the rise of anti-democratic attitudes across the political spectrum, journalist Osita Nwanevu has spent the Trump era examining the very meaning of democracy in search of answers to questions many have asked in the wake of the 2024 election: Are our institutions fundamentally broken? How can a country so divided govern itself? Does democracy even work as well as we believe?

The Right of the People offers us challenging answers: while democracy remains vital, American democracy is an illusion we must make real by transforming not only our political institutions but the American economy. In a text that spans democratic theory, the American Founding, our aging political system, and the dizzying inequalities of our new Gilded Age, Nwanevu makes a visionary case for a political and economic agenda to fulfill the promise of American democracy and revive faith in the American project.

Art of Facilitation: Community of Practice

In this lightly-facilitated gathering, we aim to provide a space for all of us to share our approaches, challenges, and learnings as we experiment and grow in our practice as facilitators.

The Art of Facilitation: Participatory Facilitator Training + Happy Hour

We believe that practicing the art of facilitation creates equitable, productive, joyful, and connecting spaces, so that people can fully participate, contribute, and collaborate.

If “facilitation” is, at its root, the invisible process of making things easier, how can we equip ourselves as facilitators to create ease and openness? How can we practice a form of facilitation that is in alignment with our values and in service to creating a more democratic and just world?

In this workshop, GWI workers will share their go-to facilitation practices, including how to prepare a facilitation plan, how to hold space during a gathering, and how to guide and organize a group towards a shared goal over time. We will go over tools and concepts that have been helpful to us in our work, whether as workshop leaders, cohort facilitators, or community builders. Our goal is to provide clarity and grounding for those stepping into the ongoing practice of being a participatory facilitator. We come to this work with curiosity and humility, and as co-learners on this journey with you!

This workshop is for seasoned facilitators and beginners alike.

We invite you to join us if any of the following apply:

You yearn for more productive, collaborative meetings
You hold the responsibility in leading or co-leading a class, working group, or team
You sense there might be better ways for you all to collaborate in meetings but are not sure how to shift things
You seek a more democratic process when making group decisions or gathering people’s input
You are hesitant to call yourself a “facilitator” but find yourself in that role a lot, and you’d like support!

We know that collaboration is not an automatic result of a desire to work together well, but flows from intentional, ongoing practices that develop the awareness and capacities of the members of the working group over time. Enter the facilitator.

For more on our approach to facilitation and some of the resources that inspire us, you can explore our Good Work in Groups collection. In particular, check out the post: How to be a Participatory Facilitator.

The workshop will include formal instruction and will conclude with an informal Happy Hour for participants to further connect and share their experiences.

The Art of Facilitation: Participatory Facilitator Training + Happy Hour

We believe that practicing the art of facilitation creates equitable, productive, joyful, and connecting spaces, so that people can fully participate, contribute, and collaborate.

If “facilitation” is, at its root, the invisible process of making things easier, how can we equip ourselves as facilitators to create ease and openness? How can we practice a form of facilitation that is in alignment with our values and in service to creating a more democratic and just world?

In this workshop, GWI workers will share their go-to facilitation practices, including how to prepare a facilitation plan, how to hold space during a gathering, and how to guide and organize a group towards a shared goal over time. We will go over tools and concepts that have been helpful to us in our work, whether as workshop leaders, cohort facilitators, or community builders. Our goal is to provide clarity and grounding for those stepping into the ongoing practice of being a participatory facilitator. We come to this work with curiosity and humility, and as co-learners on this journey with you!

This workshop is for seasoned facilitators and beginners alike.

We invite you to join us if any of the following apply:

You yearn for more productive, collaborative meetings
You hold the responsibility in leading or co-leading a class, working group, or team
You sense there might be better ways for you all to collaborate in meetings but are not sure how to shift things
You seek a more democratic process when making group decisions or gathering people’s input
You are hesitant to call yourself a “facilitator” but find yourself in that role a lot, and you’d like support!

We know that collaboration is not an automatic result of a desire to work together well, but flows from intentional, ongoing practices that develop the awareness and capacities of the members of the working group over time. Enter the facilitator.

For more on our approach to facilitation and some of the resources that inspire us, you can explore our Good Work in Groups collection. In particular, check out the post: How to be a Participatory Facilitator.

The workshop will include formal instruction and will conclude with an informal Happy Hour for participants to further connect and share their experiences.

The Art of Facilitation: Participatory Facilitator Training + Happy Hour

We believe that practicing the art of facilitation creates equitable, productive, joyful, and connecting spaces, so that people can fully participate, contribute, and collaborate.

If “facilitation” is, at its root, the invisible process of making things easier, how can we equip ourselves as facilitators to create ease and openness? How can we practice a form of facilitation that is in alignment with our values and in service to creating a more democratic and just world?

In this workshop, GWI workers will share their go-to facilitation practices, including how to prepare a facilitation plan, how to hold space during a gathering, and how to guide and organize a group towards a shared goal over time. We will go over tools and concepts that have been helpful to us in our work, whether as workshop leaders, cohort facilitators, or community builders. Our goal is to provide clarity and grounding for those stepping into the ongoing practice of being a participatory facilitator. We come to this work with curiosity and humility, and as co-learners on this journey with you!

This workshop is for seasoned facilitators and beginners alike.

We invite you to join us if any of the following apply:

You yearn for more productive, collaborative meetings
You hold the responsibility in leading or co-leading a class, working group, or team
You sense there might be better ways for you all to collaborate in meetings but are not sure how to shift things
You seek a more democratic process when making group decisions or gathering people’s input
You are hesitant to call yourself a “facilitator” but find yourself in that role a lot, and you’d like support!

We know that collaboration is not an automatic result of a desire to work together well, but flows from intentional, ongoing practices that develop the awareness and capacities of the members of the working group over time. Enter the facilitator.

For more on our approach to facilitation and some of the resources that inspire us, you can explore our Good Work in Groups collection. In particular, check out the post: How to be a Participatory Facilitator.

The workshop will include formal instruction and will conclude with an informal Happy Hour for participants to further connect and share their experiences.

Democratizing Work Primer

In this introductory workshop, GWI provides a window into the kinds of relational shifts that facilitate a culture of shared leadership. We touch on the tools, policies and practices that support democratic decision making, and offer a glimpse into how they can be put into action. You will emerge with a sense of how to start taking steps towards sharing power in your organization or working group.