Institute for Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy (ICSLD)

These are my personal reflections on the Institute for Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy (ICSLD) not an official statement of site for the event.

From the 2nd to 10th of September 2023 the Madison Center for Civic Engagement at James Madison University hosted the influential Institute of Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy (ICSLD) joining North Carolina State University and University of Augsburg (Germany). ICSLD was founded at Tufts University in 2009 and provides an intensive, 10-day seminar and residential retreat.

The 2023 ICSLD brought leaders from around the world from diverse professions and fields of study to learn alongside other faculty, staff and graduate students. ICSLD brought scholars together from the Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Germany, Bangladesh, the Caribbean, United States, and elsewhere.

Participants had on-site meetings at James Madison’s Montpelier and the U.S. Capital in Washington, D.C.

Dr. David Kirkpatrick, interim executive director of the Madison Center, and Dr. Kara Dillard, interim associate director of the center, attended the institute in Augsburg, Germany, last August, funded in part by the U.S. State Department.

Dr. Kirkpatrick presented at the summit and held a series of meetings with the organizers on JMU’s potential involvement. “JMU has been a national leader in civic engagement for a long time, under President Jon Alger’s leadership. Becoming a partner institution for and hosting the ICSLD reflects our goal at the Madison Center of leading national and international conversations around strengthening our democracy for the common good.”

Sunday the event began with a dinner and reception

Monday, Sept. 4 began with ‘Inspirations’ for the Institute by Tanja Hoggan-Kloubert

Topics for Monday Included
3 Tasks of Civic Life
Peter Levine: What Should We Do?
Collective Action
Ostrom Reader
Social Capital
Putnam: Community-based Social Capital
Pluralism
Berlin: Pursuit of the Ideal
Kolakowski: How to be a Conservative, Liberal, Socialist

Tuesday, Sept 5

9:00a-10:30a (Karol Soltan)

– Social Movements: Gandhi

o Relevant assigned reading: Parekh – Satyãgraha

11:00a-12:30p (Tanja Hoggan-Kloubert)
– Social Movements: WUNC
Relevant assigned reading: Tilly – Social Movements as Politics

2:00p-3:30p (Chad Hoggan) Human Rights / Exclusion

Relevant assigned reading: none assigned

4:00p-5:30p (Karol Sultan)

– Thinking Constitutionally

Elkin – Constitutional Design
8:00p-9:30p (Tanja Hoggan-Kloubert)

– Educating the ‘Good Citizen’
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned

Wednesday September 7th the international delegates from the Institute of Civic Studies and Learning for Democracy took a trip to the U.S. Capital.

Thursday, Sept 8

9:00a-10:30a (Peter Levine – online)
– Habermas

o Relevant assigned reading: Habermas, ch.4 – A Very Short Introduction

11:00a-12:30p (Kara Dillard)
– Dialogue
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned
2:00p-3:30p (Bernie Kaussler & Chad Hoggan)
– Deceit in Politics (Bernie Kaussler)
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned
– Negotiation / Deliberation (Chad Hoggan)
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned
4:00p-5:30p (Chad Hoggan)
– Transformative Learning Theory
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned
8:00p-9:30p (Sarah Surak)
– Civic Dialogue
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned

Friday, Sept 8
9:00a-10:30a (Tanja Hoggan-Kloubert)
– Freire & Horton
o Relevant assigned reading: Horton & Freire – We Make the Road by Walking

On Friday September 8th the ICSLD took a trip to Madison’s home.

Saturday, Sept 9

9:00a-10:30a (Tanja Hoggan-Kloubert)
– Hayek / Popper
o Relevant assigned reading: Popper – Open Society & Democratic State
11:00a-12:30p (Chad Hoggan)
– Hannah Arendt
o Relevant assigned reading: Arendt – On Revolution
2:00p-3:30p (Tanja Hoggan-Kloubert)
– Unger / Green Conservatism
o Unger – Manifesto
4:00p-5:30p (Tanja Hoggan-Kloubert & Chad Hoggan)
– Four Pillars of Civic Learning
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned
8:00p-9:30p (Paul Mabrey)
– Debate Across the Curriculum
o Relevant assigned reading: none assigned

Karol Soltan: Advised Kurdistan government in constitutional negotiation in Iraq (2005). Helped develop USAID program for development in fragile and failed states (2003-5). Served as Deputy Director, Dept of Political, Constitutional and Electoral Affairs, UNTAET (2000). Developed a variety of programs at the National School of Public Administration in Warsaw (1992-5) Helped organize and co-directed the International Summer School in Political Science and International Relations in Poland (1993-1998)

Faculties Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences Disciplines & work groups Adult and Continuing Education Team Dr. habil. Tetyana Hoggan-Kloubert