11th Annual Fairbanks Symposium to Examine Civility and Civic Leadership at a Pivotal Moment in Indiana and American Politics
The University of Indianapolis and Indiana Humanities invite the public to attend the 11th annual Richard M. Fairbanks Symposium: Civility & Civic Leadership in the Circle City on Feb. 18 to explore how civility can strengthen communities, encourage dialogue and help civic leaders find new approaches to complex challenges.
The Symposium comes at a time when large majorities of Americans say political rhetoric has gone too far, according to a Gallup poll published in December. The survey revealed that 94% of Democrats and 93% of Republicans believe the other party and its supporters have been too inflammatory, while far fewer—36% of Republicans and 28% of Democrats—say the same about their own party.
“At a time when almost all discourse in the public square feels fractured and increasingly polarized, opportunities for everyone to come together for thoughtful conversation are more important than ever,” said Keira Amstutz, president and CEO of Indiana Humanities. “We hope to provide tools that can spark change. By focusing on civility, we hope to encourage people to engage despite their differences in ways that strengthen our city and state.”
“As a historian, it strikes me that we have not seen this much focus on messages, messaging and how people express themselves in my own lifetime,” said Ted Frantz, chair of the University of Indianapolis History Department and one of the event organizers. “For just about anyone who has graduated from college after 1975, this raises fundamental questions about communication and civic responsibility. How we answer these questions has profound implications for us all.”
The Fairbanks Symposium consists of two panels, a keynote conversation as well as lunch. The first panel will examine civility in theory and through a historical lens. The second panel will explore Indiana’s new civic health index and implications for the future. The keynote conversation will feature Alexandra Hudson, the nationally recognized author of “The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves” and the founder of Civic Renaissance, and Jeff Worrell, Carmel City Councilman and founder and CEO of Carmel Civility Foundation Inc.
Hudson’s book has been the framework for civic engagement and initiatives across the country. It inspired a close partnership with Worrell that ultimately led to the founding of Project Civility and the launch of the National Civility Summit which brought together more than 100 mayors, members of Congress and other civic leaders to engage with the ideas outlined in “The Soul of Civility” and explore how to put them into practice in their own communities.
“Civility is not politeness or agreement, and it is not about smoothing over conflict,” said Hudson. “Civility is the practice of seeing the humanity and personhood of the other, especially when disagreement is real. In a divided time, I am grateful to partners like the Fairbanks Foundation, the University of Indianapolis and Indiana Humanities who are creating space for serious, public reflection on these questions. Each of us has more power than we realize to shape the civic life of our communities and it is an honor to work alongside local leaders here in Indianapolis and beyond as they build institutions and initiatives grounded in these ideas.”
WHAT: Richard M. Fairbanks Symposium: Civility & Civic Leadership in the Circle City
WHEN: Wednesday, February 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
WHERE: UIndy Hall at the Schwitzer Student Center on the UIndy campus
WHO: Interview opportunities are available, particularly beginning at 11:30 a.m. when lunch is served
PARKING: Available outside Schwitzer Student Center located at 1400 Campus Drive (near the intersection of Hanna Ave.)
RSVP: Please register if you want to attend the Symposium. For members of the media, an RSVP is appreciated but not required.
For help in arranging interviews before or during the event, or if you have additional questions or photo needs, please contact UIndy’s Director of Public & Media Relations Dan Klein at kleind@uindy.edu.