Lecture

The OneJax Institute at the University of North Florida presents the next program in the Civil Discourse Project, “Incivility and Political Dysfunction: How Did We Get Here and What Can We Do?” at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, in the Adam W. Herbert University Center, Building 43, Grand Banquet Hall, Room 1044, on campus.
The featured speaker is Dr. Carolyn J. Lukensmeyer, who is the executive director of the National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD), an organization that works to reduce political dysfunction and incivility in our political system. As a leader in the field of deliberative democracy, she works to restore democracy to reflect the intended vision of our founding fathers.
She will discuss NICD’s initiative to revive civility as well as respect and will offer suggestions as to how individuals, the University and community can get involved.Following her remarks, there will be an interview/discussion session led by UNF President John Delaney.
Lukensmeyer previously served as founder and president of AmericaSpeaks, an award-winning nonprofit organization that promoted nonpartisan initiatives to engage citizens and leaders through the development of innovative public policy tools and strategies. During her tenure, AmericaSpeaks engaged more than 165,000 people and hosted events across all 50 states as well as throughout the world.
She formerly served as consultant to the White House chief of staff from 1993-94 and on the National Performance Review, where she steered internal management and oversaw government-wide reforms. Lukensmeyer was the chief of staff for five years to Ohio Gov. Richard F. Celeste, becoming the first woman to serve in this capacity.
This free event is open to the community; however, tickets are required for entry and may be obtained here. For more information about the event, contact the OneJax Institute at UNF at (904) 620-1529.
The National Institute for Civil Discourse was established in May 2011 after the tragic Tucson shooting that killed six people and wounded 13 others, including former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. All were participating in a “Congress on Your Corner” event, a fundamental act of democracy.
OneJax, in partnership with The Florida Times-Union, WJCT, UNF and the Jacksonville Human Rights Commission host the Civil Discourse Project. These civic engagement events feature moderated panel discussions on issues that challenge deeply held beliefs about controversial topics. The purpose is to promote and model civility in interacting with one another in a calm and inclusive manner on current popular topics to increase understanding of opposing viewpoints.
Since 2012, OneJax has been an institute at UNF. Through education, community building and advocacy, OneJax works to make Northeast Florida a better place for everyone by celebrating differences and identifying all we have in common.