Civility Counts

To create a world in which people in all countries and from all walks of life embrace and practice graciousness, generosity, kindness, consideration, thoughtfulness, nurturing, respect, restraint and responsibility.

AICI’s Civility Initiative will spread a positive message across the globe that heightens public awareness about the meaning of civility and helps people embrace the civility code of conduct: Respect, Restraint and Responsibility.

Through its global leadership in the image industry, AICI’s Civility Initiative will create and sustain partnerships with companies, organizations and communities and implement member/chapter programs in Civility.

AICI’s Civility Initiative will provide opportunities and tools for education and training for AICI members, the Board and the general public to help them achieve smooth and harmonious relationships in personal and professional settings.

About the AICI Civility Counts Project

AICI has embarked on a new journey to spread a positive “civility epidemic” around the world. Inspired by Dr. P. M. Forni's book, Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct, the AICI Civility Counts Project is a multi-faceted long-term initiative  aimed at gaining international support for embracing civility and motivating people from all walks of life to make it part of their everyday lives. The primary goal of the project is that AICI members will embrace civility in their own behavior, their communication with each other, their personal appearance and brand. It is envisioned that this will help the world embrace the civility code of conduct which is based on treating others with Respect, Responsibility, and Restraint. The project officially kicked off at AICI’s 2009 annual conference where Dr. Forni was presented with the industry’s highest honor, AICI’s IMMIE Bravo award.

The scope of the project is international and the approach will be collaborative and inclusive, with the goal of including all AICI chapters and partnering with companies and organizations whose missions align with the AICI strategic plan.

  VP Marketing Katherine Wurzburg presents the
IMMIE Bravo Award to Dr. Forni at AICI’s 2009 Conference

P.M. Forni is an award-winning professor at Johns Hopkins University, where he has taught for the past twenty years. In 1997 Dr. Forni co-founded the Johns Hopkins Civility Project. He now directs The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins. Over the years, Dr. Forni has continued to illustrate the connections among civility, ethics and quality of life. In his lectures and workshops he frequently talks about the rewards of fostering a culture of civility in today’s workplace.  His book Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct (2002) has been translated into German and Italian. In 2008 he published The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude.

National and foreign publications that have mentioned his work include The New York Times, The Times of London, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and Forbes Magazine. Dr. Forni has appeared on a number of radio and television shows, including the ABC's World News Tonight, CBS Sunday Morning, Oprah and BBC's Outlook.

For more information about the Civility Counts Project, or to interview civility experts, contact:

Yasmin Anderson-Smith, AICI CIP
Chair, AICI Civility Counts Project
Phone: +1.301.792.2276
yasmin@kymsimage.com