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THE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR CIVIC DISCOURSE

"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions." Oliver Wendell Holmes

In these times of conflict and unprecedented violence, too many of our citizens feel left out of the political discourse, fail to find their voice, or worse turn their backs on the democratic process. How many conflicts will we fail to stop and how many solutions will become lost in bureaucracy if we fail to engage in effective discourse? NYU President John Sexton warns that “We have lost the ability in our public discourse to speak to one another in a way that moves ideas forward—that can result in enlightenment—or at least reflection—and that ends in disagreement without rancor…Informed discussion of issues of importance is a basic premise of democracy…” For these reasons, the Associated Leaders of Urban Debate is launching a National Campaign for Civic Discourse.

Anchored by John Sexton, the National Campaign for Civic Discourse brings together organizations, corporations, foundations, school systems and individuals working to spur civic engagement, public debate, and reasoned discourse in our schools, religious institutions and in the larger society. Initially, the Campaign will focus on student involvement in schools and communities. A recent study noted that 89% of people between the ages of 15-25 are totally uninvolved in electoral or civic activities. Communication is a powerful antidote to violence and apathy. Sarah Pearson of the American Youth Policy Forum notes “If we want safe and stable communities and caring and responsible neighbors for tomorrow, we’ve got to plan today to provide opportunities to combine academics with civic involvement...”

The Campaign will herald a new generation of responsible citizens anxious to join in discussing and debating the issues of the day. Already, the Campaign has developed partnerships with outstanding programs in cities across the country including Seattle, Minneapolis, Baltimore, Louisville, Miami and Providence. In every place, there are those who recognize that without discourse, we lose the essence of education and democracy: the power of free expression.