Community Conversations with Civility Expert Dan Buccino Launch Campaign, Oct. 15
The College of Southern Maryland and a growing number of community organizations are partnering to position Southern Maryland as a model of civility. The Choose Civility Southern Maryland Initiative will launch on Oct. 15 with guest lecturer Daniel Buccino leading an on-campus conversation about the power of civility in todays society, followed by an evening community conversation in Prince Frederick.
“Civility is such an important component of successful communities, said CSM President Dr. Brad Gottfried. We promote civility at CSM, and I believe that the college can play a major role in promoting these caring behaviors throughout Southern Maryland. To this end, we have taken a leadership role in organizing the Choose Civility Campaign. I am impressed by the number of organizations– schools, libraries, nonprofits, etc., who are working together on this campaign.”
Coordinated by CSMs Diversity Institute, Choose Civility Southern Maryland is an ongoing community-wide initiative to enhance respect, empathy, consideration and tolerance among the Southern Maryland community. “Southern Maryland, Calvert, Charles and St. Mary's Counties are communities that have had significant population changes in the last 10 years. Choose Civility Southern Maryland is a campaign that will promote civil behavior in all interactions from kindergarten to the office building and beyond. Citizens are asked to participate in programming that may seem basic, but will allow a foundation for all to grow upon,” said Ava Morton, program coordinator of the Diversity Institute.
Choose Civility Southern Maryland identifies itself with the Choose Civility initiative launched by the Howard County Library System in 2006 which was inspired by Dr. P.M. Fornis Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct. Morton explained that the local initiative ties to the Diversity Institutes mission of promoting respectful, open and honest interactions among people and communities of diverse backgrounds, abilities and philosophical ideologies.
Choose Civility Southern Maryland has chosen to promote nine of Fornis 25 rules as tools which will guide ideas within the community. These tools are: Think the best; Listen; Be Inclusive; Respect other opinions; Refrain from idle complaints; Pay attention; Acknowledge others; Speak kindly; Apologize earnestly.
To launch the local campaign on Oct. 15, Buccino will lead discussions on the multicultural society's need for civility-mindedness and offer strategies for managing issues of difference, for preventing and healing trauma at home and at work, and for building stronger communities both locally and globally. According to Buccino, civility is not a superficial guide to manners, but rather a source of strength in managing life's little irritations.
The on-campus conversation takes place at 2 p.m. at the Center of Business and Industrys Dr. John M. Sine Room 103, on the La Plata Campus, followed by a community conversation at 6 p.m. at the Calvert County Public Library in Prince Frederick. Both events are open to students, faculty and the Southern Maryland community to attend and participate in kick-off discussions.
Buccino is clinical supervisor and student coordinator at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and assistant professor in the Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He holds a B.A. and M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University Humanities Center and a M.S.W. from Smith College.
Community partners from Calvert County include Calvert County Chamber of Commerce, Calvert County Library System, Calvert County NAACP, Calvert County Public Schools, Calvert County Sheriff's Department, Calvert County State's Attorney Office, Calvert Hospice, Calvert Interfaith Council, Calvert Marine Museum, Collaborative for Children and Youth, Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum, Morgan State Estuarine Research Center (PEARL), Project Echo, Solomons Business Association and The Calvert Alliance Against Substance Abuse, Inc. (CAASA). Partners from Charles County include: American Indian Cultural Center, Arinbe Technologies, ARC of Southern Maryland, Charles County Board of Education, Charles County Chamber of Commerce, Charles County Commissioners, Charles County Humane Society, Charles County Library System, Charles County NAACP, Charles County Sheriffs Office, Dion Communications, Interfaith Community Connection, Lifestyles of Maryland, Melwood Charles County Operations Center, PFLAG of Southern Maryland, Tri-County Youth Services Bureau, Tri-County Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center and Zonta Club of Charles County. Partners from St. Marys County include St. Marys County Public Schools, St. Marys County Public Library System, Leadership Southern Maryland and Southern Maryland Regional Library Association.
For information, contact Morton at CSMs Diversity Institute, amorton@csmd.edu or 301-539-4742. To be added to the mailing list or to take the Civility Pledge, visit www.csmd.edu/ChooseCivility.
Calendar Listings
CSM Diversity Institutes Choose Civility Southern Maryland Initiative: A Campus Conversation with Dan Buccino. 2 p.m., Oct. 15, College of Southern Maryland, La Plata Campus, Center for Business and Industry Room BI-103, Dr. John M. Sine Conference Room, 8730 Mitchell Road. Choose Civility Southern Maryland is an ongoing community-wide initiative to position Southern Maryland as a model of civility. The project intends to enhance respect, empathy, consideration and tolerance in our Southern Maryland community. The kick-off program is open to the public. www.csmd.edu/ChooseCivility.
CSM Diversity Institutes Choose Civility Southern Maryland Initiative: A Community Conversation with Dan Buccino. 6 p.m., Oct. 15, Calvert County Public Library, Prince Frederick Branch, 850 Costley Way, Prince Frederick, Md. 20678. Choose Civility Southern Maryland is an ongoing community-wide initiative to position Southern Maryland as a model of civility. The project intends to enhance respect, empathy, consideration and tolerance in our Southern Maryland community. The kick-off program is open to the public. www.csmd.edu/ChooseCivility.