Cultivating a Civil Society in an Era of Incivility : 2015
Democratic institutions inherently rely on some level of civility to achieve a shared consensus on issues that facilitate agreement on actions. The inability to reach consensus strangles the democratic process of identifying real world concerns and relevant actions to address these concerns. Is civility fundamental to the process of positive change in a democratic society? Is it necessary in creating a sense of common purpose? Would the loss of civility be tantamount to abandoning our noble democratic experiment?
The 2015 MSU CCED Institute for Contemporary Issues will be held Friday, March 6, 2015 at the Michigan Capitol Building. Event participants will have the opportunity to learn from and discuss with innovative thinkers and doers from across the state and nation on how we might change our behavior and engage in respectful dialogue to build a more civil democratic society. The Institute will include two theatre performances from the Flint Youth Theater and concurrent sessions focused on various topics of civility.