Joshua Chittum

I have fond memories from my early, formative years of conversations with my father about ethics, faith, and God. He was partly an educator with a Ph.D. in world religions and partly a Protestant minister. He encouraged the asking of big questions without ever insisting on rigid beliefs. This enhanced my natural curiosity to explore complex issues without clear answers.

Learning together how to live together and peacefully navigate our inevitable disagreements in a diverse democracy raises questions without one correct answer. The pursuit of potential answers is what drew me to Unify America’s work. Engaging in such exploration with wonderful people inside and outside our organization is energizing.

As a member of the Deliberative Democracy team, I bring a background in education, social services, and some community organizing. I aspire to use these educational and people skills to help bridge the gap between more abstract theories of democracy with real-world decision-making.