Declaration of International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility and Democracy

Posted by on October 6, 2006

On June 22-23, a Global Forum was held in Strasbourg, France sponsored by the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee for Higher Education and Research (CDESR) in close cooperation with the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility and Democracy (IC). A delegation of 37 U.S. college and university presidents attended the forum under the leadership of Susan Porter Robinson, vice president of Lifelong Learning at ACE; Caryn McTighe Musil, senior vice president of AACU; and Ira Harkavy, director of the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Community Partnerships and co-chair of the IC. At the Forum, a Declaration was adopted by acclamation that affirms the need to increase the commitment of higher education institutions to a democratic culture and sustainable societies and calls for action to promote the principles of democratic citizenship, human rights and civic responsibility in higher education. The Declaration states that:

“Democracy cannot exist without strong institutions and sound legislation, but it also cannot work without being based on democratic culture. Education and schooling are decisive forces shaping the democratic development of societies; and universities, in turn, are strategic institutions for the democratic development of schooling and societies.”

Campuses around the world are encouraged to review the declaration, complete the requirements and sign on to the document. The complete Declaration and instructions to join the network of those who support the declaration can be viewed at http://dc.ecml.at/.

For your information, since 1999 the International Consortium for Higher Education, Civic Responsibility and Democracy (IC) has sought to to explain and advance the contributions of higher education to democracy on their campuses, their local communities and the wider society. The Consortium is affiliated with the Council of Europe (CoE) through its Committee on Higher Education and Research (http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/HigherEducation/Default_EN.asp). Established in 1949, the Council defends human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, develops continent-wide agreements to standardize member countries’ social and legal practices,and promotes awareness of a European identity based on shared values and cutting across different cultures. Europe’s oldest political organization, the Council’s membership totals 46 countries, including 21 countries from Central and Eastern Europe. IC membership is by country through an entity that represents higher education in that country. To date, the International Consortium is comprised of the United States (represented by a Steering Committee from the American Council on Education, American Association of Colleges and Universities, and Campus Compact), South Africa, Australia and South Korea. The University of Pennsylvania houses the executive offices of the Consortium. Ira Harkavy, is the U.S. Co-Chair (http://www.upenn.edu/ccp/index.shtml). Thomas Ehrlich, Senior Scholar at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, is the Chair. I am the staff director.

The Web site, http://dc.ecml.at/, has information on the Forum and the Declaration and additionally it offers the opportunity to consult the list of those who have become members of this network and review the civic engagement activities that they have entered into the database.

Any higher education institution as well as any other institution, association or organization, governmental or non-governmental, involved in higher education policy orientation may become a member of this network provided they support the principles of the Declaration as evidenced by the activities they do to promote them. These activities can be of different and varied nature and the input form on the site provides you with a non-exhaustive range of the main thematic orientations and types of activities to choose from.

The Declaration also includes a call for a special effort on or around December 10, 2007 — The International Day of Human Rights. We invite you to share your ideas for further and effective publicity.

The presentations and speeches at the June Forum will be edited in book form in the Higher Education Series of the Council of Europe and shall be available in Spring 2007.

Thanks again for taking time to review the Declaration at http://dc.ecml.at/. We look forward to having your campus as a member of the network.