Link to Heights Library Civility Archive
posted on 06/13/07 10:24 pm by Sbopple

I've added a link on the left hand side of the page to the Cleveland Heights - University Heights Library where they are maintaining an online archive of news from the Greater Cleveland area related to civility. This is not an archive just of activities here at the Heights Civility Project, it's an archive of all news worthy activity related to civility. Take a moment and visit the Heights Library project.

System crash - December 2006
posted on 01/07/07 3:54 pm by Administrator

Hello,

There was a rather catastrophic failure on the digitalbluesky.net webhosting server in December of 2006. The box is back online and more or less is functioning normally. While DBSky did have a system backup, through the backup process it was discovered that the Heights Civility Project database was not included in the regular system backups.

So what does this mean? Unfortunately, all the data for this blog for 2006 is lost. That is really unfortunate and DBSky apologizes for this. It's one of those things that every system administrator dreads. The good news is that the Heights Civility Project is alive and well with a full slate of activity planned for 2007.

So please come back in the near future as new information on upcoming events is added to this blog.

Heights Area Civility Project - Draft Invitation
posted on 10/18/05 12:18 am by Sbopple

Please follow this link to see a copy of the draft invitation for the December 2, 2005, Semiar "Civility in Action" to be held at the Forest Hill Presbyterian Church.

Talks and Workshops with Dr. Forni
posted on 10/18/05 12:15 am by Sbopple

Talks and Workshops
Maryland Division of Rehabilitation Services, Baltimore, MD, November 3,
2005

International Association of Protocol Consultants, Washington, DC,
September 22, 2005

Mount St.Mary's University, Emmitsburg, MD, September 14, 2005

Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD, September 7, 2005

P.M. Forni - Why Manners and Civility are Good
posted on 10/18/05 12:13 am by Sbopple

Two guiding notions of my work on civility have not changed and I doubt that they will any time soon. The first is that life is a relational experience. We do not live in a vacuum. We live among others, we depend on others, and we seek comfort and life-meaning in others. Our very individual identities, sanity, and health are shaped by others? presence in our lives. The quality of our lives depends, to a large extent, on the quality of our relationships.

The second notion is a logical consequence of the first. If we agree that life is relational, if we agree that by bettering our relationships we better the quality of our lives, then it makes sense to acquire relational competence. It makes sense to find ways of becoming good at being with others. The rules of civility and good manners give us a basic, time-proven, and effective code of relational competence.

Manners and civility are not trivial matters. Consider the etimology of these two words. At the root of ?manners? we find the notion of ?hand?. It is the latin word for hand, manus, that produced English words such as ?manuscript? and ?manners.? Manners are about how we use our hands. Having good manners means handling others with care.

Civility is linked to the latin word civitas, which meant ?city? and ?community.? Thus, civility implies a larger social concern. When we are civil we are members in good standing of a community, we are good neighbors and good citizens. Whether we look at the core of manners or at that of civility we discern not only pleasant form but ethical substance as well.

It is largely through having good manners that we put into everyday practice the Principle of Respect for Persons?the principle upon which ethical systems are built. It is through them that we become ethical agents. Civility and manners are kinds of goodness. As we act ethically, we transcend our Selves, but we also nurture our Selves. The quality of our own lives improves together with the quality of the lives we improve. Self-interest and altruism find a way to converge in the practice of civility. Kindness makes life better for those who give it and those who receive it.

We are not born civil. Civility is a code of behavior acquired by learning it from others and by constant practicing. For the sake of our communities and ourselves, let us teach, let us learn, and let us practice.