HEALTH & HOMELESSNESS SERIES:

Many think mental illness leads to homelessness, but a bidirectional relationship exists, and homelessness can lead to mental illness as well. Katherine Koh, MD, a practicing psychiatrist at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and Massachusetts General Hospital, discusses how her innovative practice of street psychiatry supports our unhoused neighbors.

HEALTH & HOMELESSNESS SERIES:

Inside Safe, Los Angeles’s program to reduce homelessness, recently achieved its ambitious goal of housing 1,000 people in its first 100 days. Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kellum, CEO of Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, discusses the nature of the challenge, the approach, and the city’s early progress.

Nina Khrushcheva, great-granddaughter of Nikita Khrushchev, former Premier of the Soviet Union, discusses how Hollywood’s “soft propaganda” about Russia and Russians may hinder diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine – and how reading Russian literature may provide important clues to the Russian mind.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

How can investing in gang members transform our communities? Michelle Caldeira and Mark Culliton discuss the counterintuitive approach that Uncornered takes to address violent crime.

Author, immigration reform advocate, and pro bono lawyer, Linda Dakin-Grimm, discusses how her faith influences her work and one of her many successful asylum cases reuniting a family from Guatemala separated at the U.S. border.

SOCIAL EQUITY SERIES:

Police practices and racial bias remain joined in a tortured dance that many times leads to tragic consequences. How does creative and thoughtful leadership resolve this historical relationship and produce equitable and fair outcomes? Former Chief of Police Renée Hall discusses the continuing struggle to align effective police practices with meaningful solutions.

INNOVATIONS IN ORGAN DONATION SERIES:

In the United States, the number of people on the transplant waiting list and those who die waiting for an organ continues to rise. James Lytle explains why policy changes are not, by themselves, likely to solve this crisis and why technological advances are necessary to save lives.

FUTURE OF WORK SERIES:

Among younger workers, labor unions are gaining popularity. Steven Greenhouse explains how this movement has become more democratic than it was a generation ago, and he provides policy recommendations for the future of work.

THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE SERIES:

Despite the war disrupting many of Ukraine’s development goals, Valeriya Ionan, the Deputy Minister for Eurointegration, outlines the digital innovations born out of conflict and how the Ministry of Digital Transformation is accelerating the digitalisation of Ukraine.

THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE SERIES:

As the war in Ukraine continues, millions of people have been displaced from their homes. Stefan Leonescu discusses the response of the Jesuit Refugee Service Romania to the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis, and details the challenges encountered with international humanitarian law and the areas for improvement.

THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE SERIES:

The hundreds, the partisans, the barriers — these and more make up the “secret sauce” that is helping Ukraine win. Robert Homans, who worked in Ukraine, describes some of their tactics and what he hopes will happen after the war.

The recent politicization of LGBTQ+ youth is a reckless abuse of power without regard to the child casualties. Harvard Professor Tim McCarthy and Sam Ames from The Trevor Project discuss the paradox of progress, the current culture war, the struggles and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community, and the continued need for resistance, resilience, and advocacy.

In 21st century America, the battle for gender equality persists. In nearly a century after it was first proposed in Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment’s (ERA) simple guarantee that “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” still is not codified in the US Constitution. At a time when women’s rights are under assault, passing the ERA is more urgent than ever. Enshrining the ERA in the constitution may well depend on the composition of the next Congress and the urgency of support by the American people.

More and more, the provision of healthcare is crossing state lines. Allison Whelan argues that a fractured state-by-state approach to healthcare regulation exacerbates disparities among various populations. As a partial solution, she discusses whether Congress should amend the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to pre-empt state pharmaceutical bans and restrictions.

Over the last decade, local leaders have passed myriad ordinances — from increasing minimum wages to gun safety regulations — only to have conservative state legislators nullify them. David Toscano, provides ideas for controlling state preemption without letting states become a patchwork of local laws.

Anyone who is interested in a presidential appointment must navigate a complicated process in order to be confirmed by the Senate. Sarah Bloom Raskin explains what it entails and tells why she withdrew her name from consideration for a post on the Federal Reserve in 2022.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Jennifer Carlson, a professor researching the significance of guns in American society, interviews gun sellers across the country and discovers a “democratic crisis” of political culture. She learns that their attitudes range beyond the National Rifle Association’s agenda.

OPINION COMMENTARY:

The House Select Committee’s hearings to investigate the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol uncovered an extensive plot to overturn the 2020 election, coordinated election interference at both federal and state levels, and potential dereliction of duty by some senior officials, all before a global audience. Vivian Lowery Derryck, a member of the inaugural 2009 Advanced Leadership Initiative cohort, worries that the never-ending saga of Donald Trump, his legal issues and potential 2024 presidential bid, will overshadow the successes of this investigative milestone in American history.

THE IMPACT OF THE WAR IN UKRAINE SERIES:

OPINION COMMENTARY:

Russia’s “information war” in Ukraine is the latest example of how networked disinformation can deepen divides, harm people, destroy trust in institutions, and threaten democracy. Lisa Macpherson, a 2019 ALI Fellow, argues that America should take a more active role in supporting the free press it guaranteed its citizens in the First Amendment.

TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION IN SOCIAL IMPACT SERIES:

OPINION COMMENTARY:

We are just beginning to understand the transformational potential of digital technology to help solve some of “the world’s most pressing problems.” Chris Lewis of the digital rights organization Public Knowledge calls on social impact leaders to join with academic, civil society, and advocacy groups to grow a movement to build a better internet for all.