The F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment to Civility in Discourse

Civility in Discourse Toolkit

• To read a statement from FAN's Executive Director in response to the shootings in Arizona, click here.
• For a sample Letter to the Editor and Legislators on civility in discourse, click here. (Thank you to FAN Member Pat Shields-Maher, Associate of the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement, for sharing this letter.)
  
• For a FULL SIZE printable version of the F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment, click here.
• For a set of double-sided printable PRAYER CARDS of the F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment, click here. (Note: To maximize print quality, this is a large file. Please be patient with the download.) 
• For printable pledge drive forms, click here.

Currently in our national conversations on policy we are experiencing a great degree of inflammatory language. It is language which exaggerates differences and hardens positions and language which is provocative in nature and uses violent imagery at times.

For this reason Franciscan Action Network offers some principles for public conversation based on the life of Francis and our Franciscan traditions. Our purpose in proposing these principles is to be mindful of a Franciscan way to promote policy reform and to demonstrate peace in an ongoing process of transformation.

Join our efforts and make the F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment to Civility in Discourse. Share it with others and join in the effort to help transform our public conversations in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare!

After you have made the commitment below, let us know as we build a communtiy of civility inspired by the example of St. Francis and St. Clare.

Share the F.R.A.N.C.I.S. Commitment with others!

Take a quiet moment in prayer and then recite the following out loud or to yourself. Each verb begins with a letter which, when taken together, spells out the name FRANCIS:

"I commit to:

• FACILITATE a forum for difficult discourse and acknowledge that all dialogue can lead to new insight and mutual understanding.
• RESPECT the dignity of all people, especially the dignity of those who hold an opposing view.
• AUDIT one's self and utilize terms or a vocabulary of faith to unite or reconcile rather than divide conflicting positions.
• NEUTRALIZE inflamed conversations by presuming that those with whom we differ are acting in good faith.
• COLLABORATE with others and recognize that all human engagement is an opportunity to promote peace.
• IDENTIFY common ground such as similar values or concerns and utilize this as a foundation to build upon.
• SUPPORT efforts to clean up the provocative language by calling policymakers to their sense of personal integrity."