Below is recent news about The Dignity Index.

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

A Time to Choose

It would be hard to imagine a more unlikely series of political events than those of the last few days and weeks.

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

Debate Watching

Millions of us will tune in on Thursday to watch the first of the two debates between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. And millions of us will rant at our screens and mock and condemn whichever candidate we oppose.

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

Protest with dignity, and respond with dignity too

Last week, I visited Elmwood Elementary School in Naperville, Illinois where students, teachers, parents, and administrators are doing amazing work with social and emotional learning strategies and programs.

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

1 for the road: Out-of-the-box leaders

An oral historian, a civic designer and the head of a nonprofit focused on bringing dignity back to politics are among the new class of fellows supported by Emerson Collective, the organization founded by Laurene Powell Jobs.

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

Speak Up!

How would you like to wake up in America and feel like it’s within your power to change the course of the country? Millions don’t—I know that. And I have to be honest that there are some days when I feel defeated by all the contempt. But not today!

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

The Missing Ideal

I’ve heard it over and over again: “this is going to be a terrible year.” Wars could get worse, divisiveness is everywhere, violence is an increasing risk at home, our mental health is disastrous, and our presidential election is going to tear us apart. “I’m just bracing for chaos, Dad,” my son told me last week. “It’s going to be rough.”

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

"Don't Soundproof Your Heart"

Last week I was in Atlanta for the annual conference of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). On opening night, I was honored to host a chat with Jewel, the multi-platinum, transcendent-voiced, singer-songwriter who’s not only a rock star but a star in teaching social and emotional learning, too. She told stories of her childhood abuse, her homelessness, and her awakening to her own power and ability to change the course of her life.

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

Fall 2023 Sussman Lecture | “Dignity: The Foundation of a New Patriotism” with Tim Shriver

Americans may be more divided than ever, but some say our disagreements aren’t causing the division, but what we do when we disagree. At this year’s Fall Sussman Lecture, Tim Shriver will discuss “The Dignity Index”, which was developed by his nonprofit UNITE, and share how it can be applied to solve the country's toxic political and cultural divides.

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

Civic discourse: Washoe County Commission to discuss dignity

What is “dignity in public discourse”? It’s a question community engagement expert Tami Pyfer will explore later this month during a special meeting of Washoe’s Board of County Commissioners. The Oct. 24 meeting includes a strategic planning session following Pyfer’s workshop. 

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

Maybe America needs a mom to call a big time-out

Meet Tami, a Utah special-ed teacher, Mormon Tabernacle singer and mom of five who launched a civility index website to grade America’s politicians. And then had to take it down because of comments we will say weren’t remotely civil. 

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Kate Larsen Kate Larsen

Breaking Barriers of Political Division

Political division in the United States has reached unprecedented levels in recent years, casting a long shadow over the nation’s democratic fabric. This deep-seated polarization is characterized by stark ideological differences, creating an increasingly hostile political landscape. The roots of this political division can be traced to several factors, including economic disparities, cultural clashes, and the rise of identity politics. Social media has furthered this political division by creating echo chambers that reinforce pre-existing beliefs and stoke animosity toward opposing viewpoints.

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