What we all need to be good “public people”

Posted by on June 9, 2006

[posted from Public Education Network newblast]

WHAT WE ALL NEED TO BECOME GOOD “PUBLIC PEOPLE”

The vast majority of Americans are in retreat from politics and public life. They have retreated, they report, because leaders no longer reflect the reality of average Americans’ daily lives in their words and actions. What’s worse, they often distort those realities for short-term political gain. If we are serious about creating a different kind of society, where people are actively engaged, our leaders — and indeed, all of us — will have to exercise a different set of sensibilities and practices. It’s a vital part of finding new pathways for people to step forward. These sensibilities and practices are all rooted in a foundation The Harwood Institute calls “The 3 A’s of Public Life: Authority, Accountability, and Authenticity.” These words have come to mean different things to different people. The Harwood Institute has reclaimed them. Genuine authority (the type derived from community credibility, not statute or title) is earned through one?s knowledge of the community and infusing that knowledge through one?s work. Authenticity is one?s ability to reflect the reality of people?s lives in word and deed. Genuine accountability is measured by whether a person sets realistic expectations for change and pursues actions that are truly meaningful to his or her community.

http://theharwoodinstitute.org/media/index.html?view=press_release&press_id=135