Putting Civility into Practice

image via thedailyshow.com

The Common Ground Awards are coming up (November 11).  If you want to come, get your tickets now!

This week, we’ve been showcasing Jim Leach and his 50-state tour dedicated to restoring civility to the national discourse.  It seems like there is a growing call for civility, sanity, and common decency in the public sphere: people are becoming frustrated, not only with elected officials and government institutions, but with the way we talk about these issues, and how the conversation is conducted.  As Jon Stewart said when he announced his Rally to Restore Sanity last month,

“We live in troubled times with real people facing very real problems.  Problems that have real, if imperfect, solutions that I believe 70-80% of our population could agree to try, and could ultimately live with.  Unfortunately, the conversation and process is controlled by the other 15-20%…We have seen these folks, the loud folks, over the years dominate our national conversation on our most important issues.”

Another group that is catalyzing this widespread desire for civility and respect is The Coffee Party Movement, which is championing cooperation and positive participation in politics.  As their name suggests, they are alluding to another well-known drink-inspired movement that has been dominating the national discourse and airwaves with an entirely different message of fear, paranoia, and anger.  In stark contrast to the Tea Party, however, the Coffee Party first asks its members to sign a “Civility Pledge,” which states simply:

As a member or supporter of the Coffee Party, I pledge to conduct myself in a way that is civil, honest, and respectful toward people with whom I disagree. I value people from different cultures, I value people with different ideas, and I value and cherish the democratic process.

This is a great first step toward finding common ground for any organization.  While we may not agree on the specific issues, we can agree to treat each other with respect.