What Could Possibly Go Right? #45 Eric Liu: Fostering Civic Imagination and Responsible Citizenship
Eric Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, Director of the Aspen Institute’s Citizenship & American Identity Program, author of several popular books, and former White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and later as the President’s deputy domestic policy adviser. He has served as a board member of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Washington State Board of Education, and the Seattle Public Library. He is a co-founder of the Alliance for Gun Responsibility.
Eric addresses the question of “What Could Possibly Go Right?” with thoughts including:
- That Citizen University is working to foster a culture of powerful citizenship
- That “all great endeavors are collective endeavors”
- The “incredible surge of mutual aid” we’ve seen during the pandemic
- The importance of civic catalysts, who “may not have the title, authority or formal office of a leader, but they're the ones who make it happen.”
- That “you can't possibly change another person's mind if you yourself aren't willing to have your own mind changed or your own heart opened.”
Resources
- Book: “Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America” by James and Deborah Fallows
- Book: “You’re More Powerful Than You Think: A Citizen’s Guide to Making Change Happen” by Eric Liu
- Book: “Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy” by Eric Liu
- The Better Arguments Project https://betterarguments.org
Connect with Eric Liu
Website: https://citizenuniversity.us
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericpliu
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