FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contacts: Jennifer Myers
The Aspen Institute
202-736-2906 | jennifer.myers@aspeninstitute.org
Eric Liu
Aspen Program on Citizenship & American Identity
206-682-0255 | eric.liu@aspeninstitute.org
The Aspen Institute Announces New Program on American Citizenship
Citizen University Founder Eric Liu to Lead Initiative
Washington DC, September 15, 2014 — The Aspen Institute announced today that Citizen University founder Eric Liu will lead the new Aspen Program on Citizenship & American Identity, a project to focus on sustaining strong citizenship in America.
“In this time of severe inequality and demographic flux in America, we have to develop a new story of ‘us’,” said Liu. “By bringing together voices and leaders from across the aisle and the country, we can discover solutions to spread the values, systems, and skills of powerful citizenship across the US.”
Elliot Gerson, Aspen Institute executive vice president of policy and public programs and international partners, said: “The goals of this program are threefold: to articulate an ethical framework for American civic identity, to propose public policy and initiatives to build societal cohesion, and to teach leaders to construct coalitions across divides. We plan to engage questions of citizenship through workshops, public forums, seminars, and other convenings. I have no doubt that Eric Liu is the perfect leader for that effort.”
Learn more about the Aspen Program on Citizenship & American Identity here: http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/citizenship. The program will be based in Seattle, WA, with events and other activities taking place in Washington, DC, Aspen, CO, and additional locations around the county.
Liu is the founder of Citizen University, which works across the political spectrum to foster a culture of strong citizenship. Liu served as a White House speechwriter and later as deputy domestic policy adviser to President Clinton. His books include The Gardens of Democracy, The True Patriot, and A Chinaman’s Chance. He’s a correspondent for The Atlantic and a columnist for CNN.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.
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