Diane Kalen-Sukra’s keynote address, “Courageous Civility: The Power of Compassion in Civic Life,” delivered at the 2025 Compassionate Action Conference, focuses on the urgent need to revive civility and compassion in public life to strengthen democracy and community well-being.
00:00 Courageous Civility: Why It Matters Now
Diane opens by sharing why she left city management—to sound the alarm on toxic civic culture. Incivility is corroding democracy, weakening communities, and spreading globally. But the hunger for a better way is growing.
01:15 The Temptation to Abandon Civility
She warns against meeting rage with rage, outlining the human impulse to retaliate. But doing so unravels the fabric of democracy and community.
01:59 What Civility Really Means
Diane traces the etymology of “civility” to its roots in citizenship. It’s not surface politeness—it’s respect, responsibility, and duty to one another and the common good.
03:00 Civility as Moral Courage and Compassion in Action
Civility requires courage to speak up and stand with others against injustice. It’s compassion applied to public life.
03:52 Wisdom Traditions on Interconnectedness
From Stoic philosophy to Kant, Buber, and MLK, Diane explores how major thinkers have taught that civility and compassion are essential for shared dignity and freedom.
05:00 Ancient Athens: The Athenian Oath & Civic Duty
She shares the Athenian Oath and how Socrates modeled non-retaliation and civil discourse as the foundation of democratic life.
06:20 Why We Must Be Civil in Uncivil Times
Diane explains how movements can collapse into tyranny without civility, using the French and Russian Revolutions as cautionary tales.
07:10 King & Mandela: Models of Courageous Civility
Powerful stories of MLK and Mandela show how restraint, moral strength, and dignity under pressure can prevent civic collapse and open paths to justice.
09:13 Today's Climate: Threats to Civic Life
Public servants face abuse, democracy is eroding, and violent rhetoric is rising. Diane asks what we’re facing that King and Mandela didn’t—and what kind of leadership is needed now.
10:01 What Courageous Civility Is—and Isn’t
It’s not niceness or avoidance. It’s principled action, clarity without cruelty, and conviction without contempt. Without it, democracy hollows out.
11:20 Culture Is Local: Where the Battle Is Fought
Culture is shaped in neighborhoods, councils, schools, and coffee shops. Diane urges listeners to recognize that local civic life is where democracy is won or lost.
12:00 Don’t Gain the World and Lose Your Soul
She warns that when civic culture decays, we inherit toxic workplaces, politics, and despair. Civility is the antidote.
12:26 A Story That Saved a City: RFK in Indianapolis
Diane shares the story of Robert F. Kennedy’s speech after MLK’s assassination—a powerful act of leadership that prevented riots through compassion and truth.
14:01 The Power to Interrupt the Cycle
Diane encourages listeners to recognize their power to choose repair over retaliation—to model the civic renewal we desperately need.
14:40 The Quiet Revival Underway
Across the globe, individuals and groups are rebuilding civic life through civility initiatives. Diane names several key organizations leading this work.
15:04 Join the Movement: Roadmap to Civic Renewal
She invites the audience to join a growing community using the Save Your City roadmap and access resources to renew culture at KalenAcademy.com/newsletter.
15:37 Final Call: Leave Our Cities Greater
Diane closes with a call to action: Courageous civility is how we heal divisions and save our cities—leaving them “greater, better, and more beautiful than we found them, as in the Athenian Oath.
📘Amazon Link to book "Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It": https://www.amazon.com/Save-Your-City...
To learn more about Diane Kalen-Sukra’s work, access resources, or enroll in her civility and civic leadership courses, visit her official website at https://www.KalenAcademy.com.
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