The National Institute for Civil Discourse integrates research, practice and policy to support and engage:
- Elected officials who are capable of working to solve the big issues facing our country.
- A public that demands civil discourse as well as government that works in the best interests of the country as a whole.
- A media that informs citizens in a fair and responsible way.
NICD envisions elected officials who work collaboratively to tackle the big issues facing our country; a media that accurately informs and involves citizens; and a public that actively engages with its government — of the people, by the people, for the people. Joining forces, we can ensure that civility emerges once again as the glue that binds, repairs and strengthens our Democratic nation.
In response to the tragedy, the Tucson community came together to create NICD, a non-partisan organization based at the University of Arizona that would promote healthy and civil political debate. NICD is devoted to the same principles that motivated Congresswoman Giffords: that people with different values and political preferences can discuss their differences in a civil and productive manner. Ironically, just days before the shooting Representative Giffords had begun discussions about the possibility of setting up a center to study how to improve the quality of civil conversation. NICD is proud to be leading this work.
(Taken from www.nicd.arizona.edu/about.)
