How to start a civil renaissance according to Carmel, Indiana—Inspired by The Soul of Civility!
A guest post by Carmel City Council President Jeff Worrell about how "The Soul of Civility" can empower local leaders to create cultures of civility in their community
Gracious reader,
In this guest issue of Civic Renaissance, we explore:
A note from Lexi
How Carmel, Indiana—inspired by The Soul of Civility—launched an effort to promote civility amid divided days, by Jeff Worrell
The Soul of Civility in the News: Segment about The Soul of Civility on C-SPAN Book TV
A year ago in Civic Renaissance: Why the world's first story is about civility
Review The Soul of Civility?
A note from Lexi
I remember the first email I received from Jeff Worrell, a few months after my book had been released. “How can we instantiate your book in our community?” He asked me earnestly.
I was thrilled to hear this. A local politician in America’s heartland, 2023 had seen an uptick in the division in picturesque Carmel, Indiana—and Jeff was eager to do something about it.
Working with Jeff on several public events in Carmel—just a few minutes from where I live in Indianapolis—helped me come to an important realization for anyone who wants their ideas to take root. While I speak and travel rather to groups across the world, I’m only one person and only able to be in so many places. How can I empower people like Jeff to take the ideas of my book and apply them to their local context, day in and day out?
As much as I like Carmel, I’ll never love it—or know it—as well we Jeff does. People like him are in the best position to tailor the book’s contents to local needs.
This is has been a driving question for me as I consider next steps in the life of my book. I invited Jeff to share his story of how the ideas of my book—which explores how we might flourish across deep differences—because I love the idea of empowering local leaders like him across the globe to bring respect, tolerance and civility to their hometowns, including you.
I’d love to hear your stories, too. If, after reading Jeff’s story below, you’re inspired to share yours, write to me at ahudsonassist@gmail.com
Jeff Worrell brings innovative solutions to the council. Whether it is his role on the council,his own business success, or community initiatives in Carmel -- Jeff is driven to help others.
Jeff is focused on finding solutions for residents through research, input, and collaboration. His attitude of service and his passion for Carmel has been displayed throughout his leadership roles in the city.
Jeff and his wife Shari have lived in Carmel for 32 years and they have two adult children, Brad and Amy. Shari and Jeff enjoy the Arts, traveling, running, snow skiing, and volunteering at their church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
How The Soul of Civility inspired Carmel, IN’s civility initiative
By Jeff Worrell
It was election night and all eyes were glued to the multiple television sets in search of voting results. The chyron scrolling along the bottom of the screen showed me ahead in my race. At the end of the night, I received the most votes and was declared the winner along with almost everyone else on my ticket. We were winners, yet I didn’t feel like celebrating. For the first time since anyone could remember, the 2023 Primary and General election were nasty across the board and left little to be proud of.
Days after the results had been certified and campaigning was replaced by governing, I stumbled across a book that caught my attention. It wasn’t the title necessarily that stopped me in my tracks. It was the subtitle, Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves.
Of course, I am referring to Alexandra Hudson’s masterful work, The Soul of Civility. As I cracked the cover and turned from page 1 to page 2, then page 3 and on, I kept being interrupted by the irrepressible thought, how do I share these timeless principles with my community? How do I get Alexandra Hudson to come to Carmel, Indiana and enlighten my fellow citizens?
So I put my fears about travel expenses, speaking fees, venue and advertising to the side and reached out to the Publisher.
On January 10, 2024, Alexandra Hudson accepted my invitation and instilled a sense of hope to over 300 Carmel attendees. We Can Do Better was the theme of the night and Lexi shared her experiences, research and expertise leaving the audience with a clear understanding of what civility is and how to practice it in daily life.
Her first visit to Carmel begat a second and now there is an ongoing movement to believe civility is a choice. In Carmel, we want to build a community where civility is the FIRST choice.
Through small group workshops, weekly civility focused columns in our local newspaper, activities with our teens and a Civility Summit in the fall of 2025, Civility is becoming a Carmel buzzword. As a City Councilor, I routinely receive messages from constituents who want to tell me why I am wrong or why I should vote differently on a specific issue. Many of those messages now come with a preamble referencing civility and to disagree with me respectfully. It is difficult to attend an event without someone bringing up their hope for a more civil community and encouragement to keep the project going. Through these and other projects, The Carmel Civility Project can set the example for other communities to follow.
I am grateful to Lexi for her book and her willingness to tackle the issue and provide our world with the tools to treat each other better.
You can rewatch Alexandra’s talk in Carmel below:
Connect with Jeff and find out more about his work:
Invitation:
Civic Renaissance Retreat: Would You Join Us?
Would you be interested in joining us for a Civic Renaissance retreat and conference on civility in 2025 in Indianapolis?
This retreat and conference is envisioned as a unique opportunity to gather and discuss how we can all flourish despite our differences. We’ll explore ways to bring these ideas back to our own communities to help them thrive amidst division.
During the event, we will:
Gain a deeper understanding of the roots of our current challenges and explore solutions that promote civility.
Develop emotional intelligence and relational skills to enhance conversations and relationships in all areas of life.
Learn practical strategies for creating and sustaining a civility community.
Write to me with your interest and ideas at ahudsonassist@gmail.com
In the news:
Why Freedom Needs Manners- Greg Collins of Yale University’s political science department offers an eminently thoughtful review of my book!
America's Hope: Kelly Wright Interviews Alexandra Hudson on Epoch TV
Blue Sky Podcast- Author Alexandra Hudson on Her Book, The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves
How to Be a Better Human Podcast: I loved talking with Chris Duffy on his excellent TED podcast about How to be civil even if you disagree (w/ Alexandra Hudson)
Interintellect- Watch an inspiring conversation between Lexi and Sean Hughes on the urgent issue of civility in our modern world
TIME Magazine— What Emily Post and Daniel of Beccles Can Teach Us About Civility Today
Civility is our eternal project- review of the soul of civility by the George W. Bush Center
Thanks so much to ABC Channel6, WRTV and ABC for the conversation about how civility and basic respect for personhood are the antidotes to our crisis of division — recorded from my front porch! Click here to watch!
Thank you for being part of our Civic Renaissance community!
A Year Ago on Civic Renaissance:
Why the world's first story is about civility
