"The Meaning of Civility", Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess (1997)

In the same vein as our Recipe for Conversation, Guy and Heidi Burgess of the University of Colorado's Conflict Information Consortium offer ten suggestions for constructive and civil engagement between opposing parties. They write: "Clearly, civility has to mean something more than mere politeness. The movement will have accomplished little if all it does is get people to say, 'excuse me please', while they (figuratively) stab you in the back. Civility also cannot mean 'roll over and play dead.' People need to be able to raise tough questions and present their cases when they feel their vital interests are being threatened." Their suggestions include obtaining available technical facts, separating people from the problem, and honoring the legitimate use of legal and political power. The consortium's website is a treasure trove of bibliographies and practical resources. The case for civility has its voices (1, 2, 3), but lamentably it mostly falls on deaf ears.
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