Diane Kalen-Sukra is the founder of Kalen Academy, an interactive online school for civic leaders and engaged citizens, which she launched after retiring as a city manager. She is also an acclaimed author, speaker and coach. Diane’s most popular book “Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It” takes readers on a successful journey from Bullyville to Sustainaville, which includes a visit to classical antiquity, calling for a renaissance of civic values and civic education as vital to fostering the type of culture that can sustain us, our democracy and our planet.
Highlights
A city that’s governed well is governed in accordance with reason; because we’re human beings with the capacity to reason and organize together. This is through rational discourse, not through factualism, ad hominin attacks, or rage-farming—which are mistaken by our society as rational strategies.
81% of local government US officials have experienced everything from death threats to vandalization of their homes and other forms of abuse. This is the level of government that is closest to the people. So, that very proximity that we need, in a toxic environment, has the capacity to do enormous harm.
Aristotle would challenge the view that local government exists to provide city services (or some quality affordable civic services). He would say that civic leadership must be people-centered, namely to achieve eudaimonia as a collective.
“Educate the people or endure them.” —Marcus Aurelius
How Can Philosophy Save Civility in the City