Civility: For the Next Decade

Sponsored by The Faith & Politics Institute and The Walter W. Capps Center for the Study of Ethics, Religion and Public Life

Rayburn B369 HOB

The American system of pluralism offers rich variety of thought as well as strong opinions. As we approach 2010, the topics which seem to divide us will continue to present significant challenges to our discourse.

Join us on Tuesday, October 20 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm for the first in a series:

Mindful Leadership

Join Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) along with Dr. Saki Santorelli and Janice Marturano from Center for Mindfulness, an innovative leader in mind-body medicine and mindfulness-based treatment and research investigations, pioneering the integration of meditation, leadership, and mindfulness into mainstream medicine and leadership studies.

In March of 2007, Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth participated in an annual commemoration of the Voting Rights March in Selma, Alabama. He was not the only dignitary in attendance; among other civil rights legends, members of Congress, and prominent religious leaders were then-Senator Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton. Upon meeting Shuttlesworth, the future President Obama grasped the handles of the Birmingham legend's wheelchair and personally escorted him to the Edmund Pettus Bridge. There, Clinton crouched down to speak with the leader. The moment, though fleeting, was a striking image of past, present, and future in national leadership and racial reconciliation.

Tim Ryan, Representative from Ohio's 17th District, discusses the important role that meditation plays in his life and work. (Photo credit: Byron Buck)

This fall, The Faith & Politics Institute hosted a series on Meditation and Inner Reflection. The program brought together Members of Congress, business professionals, prison workers, and pioneers in health and medicine for sessions on living with openness to the self, and leading through building deeper connections with others.