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U.S. Representative Jim McGovern will deliver the fifth annual Ellsberg Lecture, to be hosted by the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy at UMass Amherst on Oct. 27. A Massachusetts congressman since 1997 best known for championing the struggle to end hunger, protect human rights, and promote a more democratic and peaceful foreign policy, McGovern will deliver a public lecture titled “The Patriotism of Peace and Democracy,” followed by a question-and-answer session with the audience.

The event, which will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Auditorium, is free and open to the public.

McGovern will discuss the erosion of democracy in the U.S., along with his vision for achieving a more just world at home and abroad. Coming just days before the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, the lecture provides an opportunity to reflect on the meaning of democratic participation and the responsibilities of citizens and public officials at a consequential moment in American civic life.

The Ellsberg Lecture is the key event of annual programming for the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy, a project inspired by the civic courage of Daniel Ellsberg who, in 1971, risked a life in prison by releasing the Pentagon Papers—a top secret history of the Vietnam War that exposed decades of government lies. In 2019 the UMass Amherst Special Collections & University Archives acquired Ellsberg’s papers. Each year, the Ellsberg Initiatives hosts lectures, webinars, workshops, performances, film screenings, and a yearly activist-in-residence. Participants have included scholars, journalists, activists, NGO leaders, lawyers, policymakers, whistleblowers, writers, actors, and filmmakers who examine urgent questions surrounding war and peace, social and environmental justice, and democratic rights.

The mission of the Ellsberg Initiative for Peace and Democracy is to promote public understanding, scholarship, and activism in support of compelling, democratic, and sustainable alternatives to militarism, authoritarianism, and environmental degradation. For more information, visit eipad.org.