Loneliness and Political Life: A Transatlantic Conversation

On Tuesday, October 12, 2021 Pepperdine School of Public Policy in the US and The Relationships Project in the UK was honored to host a panel discussion entitled, Loneliness and Political Life: A Transatlantic Conversation.

Loneliness in the US and the UK is on the rise and the costs are mounting. It’s as bad for our health as 15 cigarettes a day and it costs our economies billions of pounds and dollars a year. But what about it’s cost on our political life and the health of our democracies?

You’ll hear from leading thinkers who will share their experiences of the impact of rising levels of loneliness on the state of political life and the health of democracies. 4 years on from the appointment of the world’s first Minister for Loneliness in the UK, you’ll get the chance to hear about the work being done at all scales and across all sectors to mitigate the impacts of loneliness on public and political life.

Panelists:
Ruth Ibegbuna, Founder of Roots Programme and ReKindle
Nas Morley, Interim Managing Director of The Cares Family
Jon Yates, Author and Executive Director of the Youth Endowment Foundation

Moderator:
Iona Lawrence, Associate at the Relationships Project
Pete Peterson, Dean of the Pepperdine School of Public Policy