U.S. Civic and Indigenous Leaders Call for Democratic Renewal, Inclusion and Restorative Justice
“Democracy is not something each generation simply inherits—it is something every generation must strengthen, expand and rebuild.”
A group of U.S. civic and Indigenous leaders has argued that the country’s future depends on strengthening democratic participation, rebuilding public trust and advancing policies that promote inclusion, accountability and restorative justice.
The leaders said democracy should be viewed as an ongoing project requiring active public participation rather than a political system sustained solely by institutions. They emphasized that civic engagement, coalition-building and community action have historically driven democratic progress in the United States.
According to the contributors, meaningful change has often been achieved through citizens organizing collectively, supporting their communities and holding elected officials accountable. They argued that while no generation has fully realized the country’s democratic ideals, each has the responsibility to move the nation closer to those principles than it found them.
, chief executive officer of the , said declining public trust has become one of the central challenges facing American democracy.
Stewart said many people have become disillusioned after experiencing outcomes that differed from political promises, pointing particularly to the treatment of immigrant communities. She argued that restoring confidence in democratic institutions requires reforms that make governance more representative, inclusive and resilient.
She said strengthening democracy will require modernizing electoral and civic systems, improving safeguards against misinformation and disinformation, and encouraging broader public participation in civic life.
“Democracy is not something we inherit fully formed. It is something every generation has had to build. This is our moment to build it,” Stewart said.
, founder of the , focused on Indigenous rights, environmental stewardship and economic justice.
Villanueva said the United States has historically treated land primarily as an economic resource, pointing to the displacement of Indigenous peoples and forced removals as enduring historical injustices. He argued that Indigenous traditions emphasize stewardship of land rather than ownership and said recent conservation efforts indicate a gradual shift toward that philosophy.
He cited initiatives supported through the California Tribal Land Return Initiative and the Indigenous Earth Fund, which helped facilitate the return of more than 25,000 acres of land during the past year.
Among those projects, the regained approximately 17,023 acres and subsequently reintroduced tule elk to the restored land. Villanueva also pointed to the restoration of the , where salmon returned within 10 days after dam removal following an absence of roughly six decades.
Villanueva described these developments as evidence that ecological restoration can progress rapidly when natural systems are allowed to recover.
Addressing broader social conditions, he argued that the United States is experiencing what he described as a “spiritual famine,” which he defined as a diminished capacity to recognize the shared humanity of others rather than a decline in religious belief.
At the same time, Villanueva said research conducted by his organization found that 82% of Americans reported helping others without expecting anything in return, which he viewed as evidence that values of generosity and mutual care remain widespread.
He said future economic systems should direct financial resources toward repairing historical harms rather than reinforcing extraction and inequality. Villanueva described this approach as treating “money as medicine,” arguing that investments should support long-term restoration and balance rather than charitable responses alone.
According to Villanueva, repairing historical injustices should be understood as a societal obligation rooted in shared responsibility rather than voluntary philanthropy.
