UMassGives 2025

Now, more than ever, we need truth-tellers, activists, and scholars to join forces in support of First Amendment rights, democratic alternatives to oligarchy and authoritarianism, environmental justice, and peaceful resolutions to international conflict.

Daniel Ellsberg (1931-2023) was a model of principled, nonviolent activism. In 1971, he risked his freedom by releasing to the American people a 7,000-page top-secret history of the Vietnam War—the Pentagon Papers--that exposed decades of government lies and deception. For the remainder of his long life, Ellsberg fought for a more democratic and peaceful foreign policy, nuclear disarmament, constitutional rights, and government and corporate accountability. 

In 2019, Ellsberg chose UMass to be the home for his voluminous and valuable papers. He was impressed by the world-renowned holdings of the Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives and its commitment to social change and justice.

The arrival of Ellsberg’s papers inspired a host of projects, including the goal of creating a permanent Ellsberg Institute for Peace and Democracy dedicated to promoting public awareness, scholarship, and activism in support of the overlapping causes that shaped his life. 

We have completed two years of vibrant programming on many of those issues—public interest whistleblowing, defending First Amendment Rights, creating a just transition of the economy from fossil fuels to green energy, overcoming the existential threats of nuclear weapons and climate change, and much more. This year our Annual Ellsberg Lecture was offered by acclaimed climate activist Bill McKibben and our Ellsberg Activist-in-Residence was Varshini Prakash (UMass ’15), co-founder of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led movement for climate justice. 

Your donation today will provide the resources to fund next year’s series of programs: The Democracy Project, which will bring together scholars, journalists, activists, policymakers, and others to explore significant efforts to defend and enrich democracy in the face of rising global authoritarianism. 

If possible, please donate during our POWER HOUR, April 30th, 2–3 p.m. where we have a chance to win bonus money. 

For more information about the Ellsberg Initiative and recordings of prior programs, please go to our website: eipad.org