Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
News covering policy and issues related to city and county governments in the Ozarks.

Mayor Stephens to Citizens: Continue Displaying Examples of Civility

KSMU archives
Mayor Bob Stephens during Thursday's State of the City Address/Credit: Christopher Akins - City of Springfield

Springfield Mayor Bob Stephens is calling for continued civility amid a pending grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case.

Citing recent events like last weekend’s March for Peace as examples, Stephens says encouraged citizens to “stay the course” with regard to civil discussions and dialogue about sensitive topics.

“We have many good examples of healthy public dialogue and peaceful demonstrations that have shone a light on Springfield’s commitment to civility,” Stephens said in a statement.

Stephens cited efforts by the Good Community Committee, an informal cross-section of community leaders, which in 2010 set out to restore civic engagement to the democratic process and foster an atmosphere in which people can freely speak their minds.

That led to the creation of the Springfield-Greene County Civility Project, which focuses on 10 main tenets of civility and encourages public and private entities to adopt and display them in their buildings.

"One of our ideas when the Good Community was founded in 1995 was to help ensure 'a vigorous civil society,'" said Good Community Committee Chairman Brian Fogle. "Democracy can only flourish when there is a strong civic engagement. Our hope with the Civility Project was that our citizens would feel comfortable to participate in civil dialogue without fear of verbal attacks and incivility. By having a more civil discussion, we ultimately hope all voices are heard and considered."

Fogle has recently reconvened a steering committee for the Civility Project and hopes to reignite discussions and plans.

The 10 tenets of the Springfield-Greene County Civility Project are:

·  Be Attentive.
Live with awareness toward others and your surroundings.

·  Acknowledge Others.
Greet people, ideas and values with respect.

·  Be Inclusive.
Recognize and welcome all people every day.

·  Listen.
Seek to understand by concentrating on what people say.

·  Respect Other Views.
Respond to different opinions with a fair and open mind.

·  Speak Out With Courage.
Express yourself with honor and conviction.

·  Act with Compassion.
Treat others with kindness and honesty.

·  Give and Accept Constructive Feedback.
Consider criticism thoughtfully and factually.

·  Treat Your Environment with Respect.
Show regard for nature, resources and shared spaces.

·  Be Accountable.
Acknowledge mistakes and take responsibility for your actions.