Renaissance Weekend is the name for a recurring series of invitation-only gatherings founded and hosted by Linda and Philip Lader. The concept was founded in 1981 with the objective of bridging traditional divides of professions, politics, religion, race and age. It substantially increased in prominence when repeat-participant Bill Clinton was elected president in 1992.[1] A few other notable past participants include Hillary Clinton,[2] Supreme Court Justices Harry Blackmun,[2] Ruth Bader Ginsburg[3] and Stephen Breyer,[3] Donald Rumsfeld,[1] Daniel Schorr,[1] Wolf Blitzer[4] Buzz Aldrin,[3] and Mary Chapin Carpenter[4] among many others.
Organized several times throughout the year, each Renaissance Weekend consists of seminars, discussions, informal lectures and performances. Substantive conversations and program contributions by all participants are fostered by a casual, welcoming culture. Civility, non-partisanship, non-commercialism and public-spirited impact are the gatherings’ hallmarks.
History
Renaissance Weekend was founded, and continues to be hosted, by Linda and Philip Lader – the former US Ambassador to the Court of St James's, international business executive and college president – as a unique forum for civic, social, inter-disciplinary and intellectual interaction. The Weekends prompt candid, meaningful dialogue among individuals from diverse backgrounds in a spirit of personal and national renewal. Initially held over New Year's, when the largest gathering is still held, the smaller Weekends throughout each year provide a more intimate setting for discussion.
More than 155 Renaissance Weekends have taken place; each addressing current events, contemporary issues and essential questions of personal experience. While recent years have witnessed an increase in partisanship in America – and as informed, in-person exchanges of viewpoints have become less common, the organization's commitment to Renaissance Weekend's founding objectives has not waivered.
Among the 60 families who initiated the first Weekend on Hilton Head Island were Marian Wright Edelman, David Gergen, Fred Malek, Governors Richard Riley and Terry Sanford, Stan Smith, Diane Sawyer, and Tim Wirth. Over the years, both Republican and Democratic candidates for US President, as well as 26 Nobel laureates, have regularly attended. Presidents Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton co-chaired Renaissance Weekend's 25th anniversary. The 40th anniversary Weekend was celebrated by 1,000 participants, including – as do all the Weekends – many longtime attendees and newcomers who bring new, diverse perspectives.
Format and Activities
Renaissance Weekend's off-the-record content is organized to highlight the expertise and interest of those registered. Participants design their own schedules from each Weekend's hundreds of programs, with different topics covered throughout the days’ simultaneous sessions. Plenaries focus on subjects of the most common interest. The specific schedule is distributed to registrants several weeks before the gathering and is not made public. Prominent authorities, thought-leaders and rising stars address current and vital issues. All participants are encouraged to engage in the informal discussions. Curated mealtime roundtables, local off-site adventures and tours, sabbath services, music, films and late-night social activities are customary parts of the Weekends. “Camp Renaissance” features educational children's activities and talks by explorers, astronauts, authors, athletes and other adult participants whose experiences fascinate young people. Teens and college students are welcome at all sessions and have discussions organized specifically for their contemporaries. Each Weekend is centered at a noteworthy hotel or resort, typically in a recreational destination. Alternative lodging, available at varying pricepoints, is recommended in the vicinity.
Topics
Topics include science and technology, world affairs, government, politics and economics, health, fitness and healthcare, energy and the environment, law, literature, and education, business, finance and investment, space exploration, media, religion and philosophy, non-profits, philanthropy and social entrepreneurship, media, entertainment, and the arts, and family legacies and personal concerns. In recent years, many sessions explore artificial intelligence, Web3, the metaverse, crypto and decentralized finance, biotechnology, cloud and Quantum computing, US-China relations, developments in the Middle East, US fiscal policies, evolution of America's political parties, the future of warfare, the impact of social media, innovations in screen entertainment, and both traditional and novel spiritual practices.
Participants
The roster of past and recent participants, as noted on the Renaissance Weekend website, includes U.S. Presidents, Prime Ministers, Cabinet members, governors and U.S. Senators, U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Nobel laureates, Pulitzer Prize, MacArthur and Motion Picture Academy honorees, astronauts and Olympians, diplomats and judges, well-known entrepreneurs and investors as well as corporate, non-profit, education and other professional leaders, and influential authors, scientists, and artists. Active participation is sought by all registrants, including outstanding journalists, teachers, social workers, clergy, small business owners and innovators with especially diverse occupations. Among past participants have been lion-tamers, international recording stars, imans, convicted bank robbers, peace negotiators, Super Bowl champions, social entrepreneurs, game designers, symphony conductors, screenwriters, nuns, Oscar winners, philanthropists, spies, Space Shuttle commanders, police captains, sex therapists, poets, and NBA All-stars. Invitees are nominated by past participants. The criteria for invitation are professional innovation and/or distinction, potential contribution to the program's breadth and depth, and likely commitment to Renaissance's off-the-record, civility, non-partisan and non-commercial spirit and traditions.
Policies
The Weekends’ candor and freedom of expression are encouraged by their off-the-record tradition. Accordingly, specific Renaissance Weekends’ attendance are not disclosed publicly; the gatherings discourage personal screen device usage; and the Renaissance Institute does not seek publicity. Commercial or overtly promotional activity is not permitted at the Weekends; but participants freely exchange contact details and routinely maintain continuing relations.
Impact and Sponsorship
Ideas and relationships prompted by these Weekends have led to significant public- and private-sector initiatives. Participants often cite the event as a transformative experience that broadens their perspectives and deepens their understanding of complex issues. It is common for enduring, and often unlikely, friendships to commence over Renaissance Weekend discussions characterized by “more light than heat.”
The gatherings are organized by a non-profit institute. To preserve its independence in designing and implementing the Weekends as well as to ensure its commitment to open, apolitical, and non-commercial dialogue, no corporate sponsorships are sought. Costs of participation are borne by those attending.
References
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