A survey of civic leaders from the United States, Canada, and Australia, conducted as part of the inaugural Global Civility Summit 2024 for civic leaders held last week, has uncovered serious concerns about the impact of incivility and toxic behaviour on local governance, decision-making, and the personal lives of public officials.
Key findings reveal the widespread nature of the problem, with significant portions of civic leaders reporting that incivility is disrupting governance, occurring frequently, and even leading to harassment of public officials’ families.
Key Survey Findings from the U.S., Canada, and Australia:
Disruption to Local Governance:
A substantial portion of civic leaders—81% across the U.S., Canada, and Australia—reported that incivility is disruptive or very disruptive to their ability to govern effectively and/or service delivery. This includes 81% in Australia, 85% in Canada, and 79% in the U.S.
Civility in Local Governance:
72% of respondents rated the state of civility in their civic environments as challenged, poor, or very poor, with 81% in Australia, 74% in Canada, and 67% in the U.S. experiencing challenges with civility.
Frequency of Incivility:
46% of respondents across the three countries reported encountering incivility frequently or constantly. This issue was reported by 38% in Australia, 51% in Canada, and 44% in the U.S.
Harassment of Family Members:
21% of respondents indicated that their families had experienced harassment or threats due to their public roles. Family harassment was reported by 25% in Australia, 19% in Canada, and 21% in the U.S. Additionally, 6% of respondents in Canada and 4% in the U.S. chose to "prefer not to say" when asked about family harassment.
Positive Outlook: Strategies for Cultivating Civility
Despite the challenges highlighted in the survey, the positive news is that civic leaders brought with them and shared a wide range of strategies, ideas, civility initiatives and actionable steps aimed at transforming local governance and fostering a culture of civility in their communities.
Rather than focusing only on managing immediate threats, these leaders shared proactive, visionary approaches that cultivate long-term civc cultural transformation.
Their proposals for next steps were enshrined in personalized Roadmaps to Renewing Civic Culture developed during the summit. In general, the Roadmaps emphasized four key areas for action. Click the button below to learn more.
About the inaugural Global Civility Summit 2024
This first-ever Global Civility Summit 2024: Tackling Toxicity, Cultivating Civility, which brought together over 450 local government leaders from nine countries and hundreds of cities, provided a crucial and urgent platform for exploring solutions to promote civility in local governance.
Keynote speakers included Mayor Ron Nirenberg of San Antonio, Texas, who spoke on Cultivating Compassion in the City, and Mayor Scott Gillingham of Winnipeg, Manitoba, who focused on Building Trust, Fostering Unity.
The testimonials that continue to pour in tell a powerful story of inspiration and action. Participants praised the summit for its thought-provoking discussions, practical strategies, and the sense of community it fostered among civic leaders. Many called it a transformative experience, highlighting the valuable insights gained and the urgency of implementing these strategies in their own local governments.
🎥Summit recordings are available here.
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