O N E O F T H E M O S T S I G N I F I C A N T L E A D E R S H I P P O W E R S communityfoundations haveforimprovingqualityoflifeistheirabilitytoconvene — tobringpeople together to address a problem or opportunity. When a foundation calls, peoplecometogether,evenwhenpassionsrunhighanddifferencesgodeep. Alarmedatthelasttwoyears’unprecedentedpoliticalandideological divisivenessrunningfromWashington,D.C.toregionssuchassouthwestern Pennsylvania, The Pittsburgh Foundation presented two conferences to shinealightontheFirstAmendmenttotheU.S.Constitution.That45-word clause sets out the rights that define us — and that should unite us — as Americans: freedom of religion, expression, the press, public assembly and government petition. In June, the Foundation co-hosted “The First Amendment for the Twenty-FirstCentury:CurrentThreatsandCommunityResponses”withThe HeinzEndowments,anotherplaced-basedphilanthropy.Theregionalevent offered24speakersandpanelists,includingAprilRyan,aWhiteHouseradio newscorrespondentwhohascoveredtheadministrationsoffourpresidents; former Republican Rep. Mickey Edwards who represented Oklahoma in Congressfor16years;Wasiullah“Wasi”Mohamed,executivedirectorofthe Islamic Center of Pittsburgh; Yascha Mounk, executive director of the Tony BlairInstituteforGlobalChange;JenniMonet,anaward-winningfreelance journalistwhowritesaboutNativeAmericansandindigenousrights;artists VanessaGermanandJasiriX;andRobRogers,asyndicatededitorialcartoonist. InOctober,theFoundationco-hostedwithDuquesneUniversity“A National ConferenceontheFirstAmendment:BedrockofAmericanFreedoms.”That event, presented in collaboration with the National Constitution Center, featuredaWho’sWhoofnationallyprominentjournalistsandpublicfigures, including retired four-star General Michael Hayden, who headed the CIA and National Security Agency; former Pennsylvania Governor and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge; Ohio Governor John Kasich, Supreme POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES MEET DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES CIVIL DISCOURSE INUNCIVIL TIMES THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION THE HEINZ ENDOWMENTS DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY The Foundation and key partners present conferences to reaffirm the value of the First Amendment. By Doug Root RE PO RT TO TH E CO MMU N ITY THE PITTSBURGH FOUNDATION 5