When BEN RHODES was Barack Obama’s Deputy National Security Advisor, he saw the world from inside the administration and the power bubble. In the following years, on a searching journey, he traveled the world. He spoke with dissidents, protestors, and oppositionists—in Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Mainland China, and Hong Kong—confronting the nationalism and authoritarianism that has now led to war in Europe while threatening American democracy at home. Now, as a respected author and commentator, Rhodes will paint a deeply informed picture of the world we are living in today, with the rise of authoritarian leaders and ethnonationalism and the flood of disinformation enabling them. In conversation with Pulitzer Prize- winning novelist and playwright AYAD AKHTAR, Rhodes will also share his personal story and introduce us to some of the courageous people fighting to defend their freedoms around the globe.

Photo credit: Natalie Moser