Newswise — China spent billions of dollars preparing for the Olympics, building stadiums and improving its infrastructure. But it also poured funds into something that is hard to put a price tag on: civility and good manners. By educating citizens on how to form orderly lines, dress appropriately and cheer for all competitors, not just the Chinese athletes, China's government could create changes that linger beyond the two-week games, according to P.M. Forni, director of the director of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University and author of The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude (St. Martin's Press, June 2008) and its companion Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct (St. Martin's Press, 2002).
"It is extraordinary that a whole nation be targeted for the promotion of a code of conduct," Forni says. "It sheds light on the importance that other nations place on good manners and civility. Here we have a developing nation that wants to put its best face forward in an international arena in order to be accepted as a full partner in the world."
Forni is in a unique position to address China's efforts, having inspired several community-based initiatives across the United States to promote civility, including in Maryland, where Howard County's Choose Civility initiative has received international media coverage. Forni can talk to reporters about whether a nationwide campaign would be successful in the U.S. as well as other questions surrounding the manners movement here and abroad: What do Americans think of the state of their manners? Why so much talk about civility in the media? What's good about good manners? Should the government promote good manners? Should good manners be part of the school curriculum?
Audio is available by contacting the source.
Links
A press release about The Civility Solutionhttp://www.jhu.edu/~news_info/news/home08/jun08/civility.html
P.M. Forni's Web pagehttp://sites.jhu.edu/civility/index.html
Choose Civility in Howard County (Md.)http://www.choosecivility.org/
Link to an Associated Press article with background on China's manners movementhttp://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gMeNoUh1sLfdZvSktk3Jw_onxh-gD928P3CG0
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