The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has launched a new initiative titled “United We Stand: Connecting Through Culture” that leverages the arts and humanities to combat the increase of hate-motivated violence across the country by encouraging civic engagement, social cohesion, and cross-cultural understanding.

 

The humanities help us develop the skills needed to find connection. They help us develop critical thinking skills, practice compassion, and encourage curiosity. They encompass the past, present, and future; they encompass both the individual and communal human experiences. The humanities allow us to learn about people who are different from us while simultaneously finding common ground. In the words of NEH Chair Shelly Lowe, “Combating hate not only requires us to identify the root causes of that hate but also to identify our inherent capacity for love, acceptance, empathy, and belonging.” We cannot combat hate-motivated violence without one another.

 

The New Mexico Humanities Council is seeking individuals to participate in the United We Stand initiative as scholars. Scholars may do public talks with Q&A sessions, or serve on panels either as panelists or facilitators to enable public discussion about the humanities and the critical role they play in shaping our country and communities. If you are interested in being part of United We Stand as a scholar, please fill out and return an application by June 30th. The application can be accessed here.