A third key pillar of our strategy is to follow the example of our namesakes, Rep. Lee Hamilton and Sen. Richard Lugar, and to be a model for civil discourse and public service in Indiana and around the world. We aim to foster a robust exchange of views, across partisan lines and across national and cultural boundaries, while emphasizing that listening is as important as being heard. Our goal is to be known as a national leader in facilitating dialogues that advance mutual understanding among people from diverse countries and cultures. We also aim to be recognized leaders in principled and effective public service rooted in efforts to understand one another.
Fostering Civil Discourse and Public Service
- At the Hamilton Lugar School. To build norms and habits of civil discourse, we are developing a stream of events, community conversations, and workshops that facilitate constructive exchange on sensitive topics. We aim to be a model in this regard, and that begins by ensuring that everyone in our school community knows that they are welcome, valued, and respected.
- In the State of Indiana. We are using our language, cultural, and policy expertise to serve the state, aiming to train and serve more national guard members, high school students, businesses, local governments, migrant communities, and others. In keeping with the IU 2030 vision for service to our state, we are also taking steps to encourage and facilitate more student, faculty, and staff volunteer work and civic engagement.
- Nationally and Internationally. We are seeking to contribute to public discourse by boosting faculty and staff media appearances and quotations, authoring more policy briefs, providing expert testimony, and advising a wider range of official and non-governmental organizations, among other forms of outreach. In all of these ways, we seek to advance our mission of fostering enlightened global engagement to advance the public good.