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The Civility Renewal Project
Principles
- 1. Decency in Disagreement
Political opponents are fellow citizens, not enemies. Strong disagreement should never justify cruelty, humiliation, or dehumanization. - 2. Commitment to Truth and Intellectual Humility
Citizens should seek truth, question claims, and make a good-faith effort to verify information before sharing it. - 3. Restraint in Public Life
Strong emotions are natural, but public civic spaces require discipline and self-control. - 4. Responsibility for the Common Good
A healthy society depends on citizens who consider the welfare of the community. - 5. Respect for Constitutional Institutions
Free societies depend on trust in lawful processes, elections, and courts.
Private Honesty, Public Restraint
The Civility Renewal Project does not ask people to suppress their feelings.
In private conversations with family and trusted friends, people naturally express frustration, debate passionately, and work through disagreements.
But the public spaces that shape our shared civic life — including media, politics, and online discourse — require a higher standard of conduct.
Civility is not silence. It is the discipline to disagree without destroying the bonds that hold a society together.
We can raise the standard of civic life together.
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