Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited Duke University on February 28, giving an hour-long lecture, “The Future of Democracy at Home and Abroad,” and answering questions from the crowd.
The event, which took place at Page Auditorium, was part of Duke’s David M. Rubenstein Lecture series, presented by the Sanford School of Public Policy, whose dean Judith Kelley moderated the event.
Albright, who served under President Bill Clinton as the first female Secretary of State for the United States from 1997 to 2001, currently works as a professor of diplomacy at Georgetown University and serves as the chairman of the National Democratic Institute.
Albright spoke about the decline of democracy worldwide, which has been tracked by Freedom House, the importance of coalition building for democracy and the vitality of dialogue between citizens and citizens and the government to sustain democracy.
“We need to talk to people with whom we disagree,” she said. “I don’t like the world ‘tolerance.’ I want to know why people have different viewpoints and have civilized conversations and then restore trust in what people think.”
Albright immigrated to America as a refugee from Czechoslovakia in 1948. “I’m very proud to be an American,” she said.
However, Albright believes that Americans have a false belief that democracy will sustain itself.
“I’ve decided we never can take democracy for granted,” she said.
Albright has written several books about democracy, including Fascism: A Warning, which came out in 2018.
Several Chapel Hill faculty and students attended the event.
Senior Robin Huang was in the crowd, along with several friends.
She was especially struck by how Albright’s experiences had shaped her views of democracy.
“I had a conversation with my mom, an immigrant from China herself, and her view of democracy,” Huang said. “Secretary Albright’s point of view of how democracy should be treasured and cared for by its citizens resonated with my mom.”
Huang was also struck by the number of young people in the crowd.
“I think it’s so important for young people today, leaders of the future, to learn from leaders of the past and their experiences,” she said.
Senior Bryan Yam was also in attendance and was impressed by Albright’s ability to speak in a relatable manner to a crowd of students and adults alike.
“Secretary Albright was very engaging,” Yam said. “She was funny and able to convey meaning. It’s good for public servants be able to have the ability to connect with the public they are serving.”
In addition to the lecture, Albright also recorded an episode of the Sanford’s Policy 360 podcast and spoke to Duke students in small groups.
