civic engagement Archives - News and Media

Augsburg senior scholar receives Spirit of Ghandi Award

Posted on October 10, 2017October 4, 2019

Harry Boyte (far right) receives the Spirit of Ghandi Award at the State Capitol. Photo courtesy of Chai News.

In recognition of his work promoting civic engagement and non-violence, Augsburg scholar Harry Boyte has been awarded the Spirit of Gandhi Award. Boyte, the senior scholar in public work philosophy with the Augsburg Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, describes the spiritual, moral, and psychological aspects of non-violence in . The Spirit of Gandhi Award is given in聽celebration聽of聽Nonviolence Day, a globally-observed day on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,聽at the Minnesota State Capitol.

Advisory: Global Leaders Meet Sept. 15-16 in Minneapolis for Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum

Posted on September 7, 2017November 6, 2017

Bridging divisions through dialogue will be focus of leaders, experts

(MINNEAPOLIS) 鈥� The 29th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, an international peace congress, is September 15-16 in Minneapolis. The 2017 Forum will focus on dialogue as a bridge to cross lines of difference on a range of contentious issues, from instability in North Africa and the Middle East, to gun violence reduction and the partisan 鈥淩ed-Blue鈥� divide in the United States. The Forum will also honor the 2015 laureate, the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, recognized for its work toward building a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS:

Sept. 15

9 – 10:45 a.m. 鈥� 鈥淭he Power of Dialogue: A Conversation with the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet.鈥� Quartet members Mohamed Fadhel Mahfoudh, Hassine Abassi and Abdesattar Ben Moussa will explain how they brought together parties in a deeply divided country to forge a new democracy in the wake of the Arab Spring.
1:45 – 3 p.m. 鈥�鈥淗ealth Care and Peace Building in Africa: Charting a Path Forward.鈥� Panelists including Barbara Bush, CEO of Global Health Corps, will discuss improving health care delivery in Africa from the perspectives of non-profit, private sector, academic and other stakeholders.

Sept. 16

11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 鈥� 鈥淕un Violence Prevention: Prospects for Progress.鈥� Former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and Capt. Mark Kelly will discuss their work on efforts to reduce gun violence and the pressing aspects of that work in light of recent political changes.
7 a.m. – 6 p.m. 鈥� 鈥淐oncentric Dialogue鈥� art installations. In the spirit of fostering engagement, local and national artists have collaborated to create an outdoor exhibition of installations across the 含羞草传媒 campus. Free and open to the public on September 16 and 17.

The 2017 Nobel Peace Prize Forum will be held at the 含羞草传媒 campus, 2211 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454. Information and tickets are available at the website.

MEDIA CONTACT

Lida Poletz at lpoletz@gmail.com or 612-839-7489.

ABOUT THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM

The Nobel Peace Prize Forum, hosted and presented by 含羞草传媒, brings together students and community members with Nobel Peace Prize laureates, world leaders and accomplished peacemakers to work on building a world in which people can live full, rich, meaningful lives. Under the auspices of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum inspires peacemaking by focusing on the work of laureates and international peacemakers and peacebuilders. More at .

ABOUT AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY

含羞草传媒 offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 3,600 students of diverse backgrounds at its campus in the vibrant center of the Twin Cities and the Rochester site. Augsburg educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.

Minnesota Campus Compact reports on Augsburg College’s support of Muslim students, community

Posted on January 28, 2016July 9, 2024

The Minnesota chapter of Campus Compact, an organization that supports civic engagement and democratic renewal across college campuses, recently published an article about Augsburg College’s proactive approach to supporting Muslim students and the local Muslim community.

Following inflammatory statements made by high-profile politicians and presidential candidates about the Muslim community, the Augsburg College faculty passed a resolution declaring their “deep support, love and friendship for the Muslim members of our campus, community and world.” The Campus Compact article states that, “Faculty and staff at the college make this commitment real through myriad practices and partnerships.”

Included in those partnerships is the work that the College has done with Sisterhood Boutique, a “second-hand clothing store and youth social entrepreneurship program developed by young women, a majority East African and Muslim, living in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis.” Augsburg faculty members — such as Assistant Professor of Business聽Marc Isaacson聽— have engaged their students in projects to support the boutique.

Read: In Word and Deed: Augsburg College in Support of Muslim Students, Colleagues, Neighbors on the Campus Compact site.

Harry Boyte shares commentary on teaching democratic values with The Hill

Posted on November 23, 2015November 23, 2015

Harry Boyte, senior fellow in the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, recently wrote an online column for political newspaper The Hill in which he argues that educators should seek to develop students’ abilities to handle conflict by engaging them in self-guided civic involvement. Recent conversations about free speech and identity politics have primarily focused on either criticizing or applauding students’ approaches to effecting change, a trend which Boyte feels too readily discounts a student’s agency.

“Young people are hungry for opportunities to learn the skills and concepts to handle conflicts and make constructive change,” he writes. Providing timely guidance and these opportunities is important because, “Young people are citizens today, not citizens in preparation.”

Boyte outlines the Public Achievement model of “citizen politics” as everyday problem-solving and public work. Public Achievement sees students work together on real-world projects (such as building a playground for local children) that require a broad set of skills vital to a democratic way of life. In one example, the students “got the parish council on their side, negotiated zoning changes with city officials, and raised $60,000 from local businesses. To accomplish these feats, they learned how to interview people, write letters, give speeches, call people they didn鈥檛 know. They deliberated, created alliances, raised money, mapped power, did research.”

Read: on The Hill’s site.

Harry Boyte discusses “organizing” versus “mobilizing” in
higher education

Posted on October 22, 2015October 22, 2015

In his most recent article for the Huffington Post, Harry Boyte, senior scholar in Augsburg College鈥檚 Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, argues in favor of a relationship-based model for engaging students in democratic society.

Boyte refers to the “organizing” versus “mobilizing” model pioneered by civil rights leaders such as Ella Baker and Bob Moses. In this view of activism, mobilizing is goal-driven and short-lived, while organizing is relationship-driven and sustains engagement over time. Boyte draws a parallel between these different types of聽activism and educational approaches that focus either on outcomes–such as test scores–or personal growth and agency.

Read: at the Huffington Post.

Harry Boyte contends that universities should renew the democratic purpose of higher education

Posted on April 7, 2015June 4, 2015

Screen Shot 2015-04-07 at 1.26.22 PM The question, “What are universities for?” elicited a number of responses in a recent article compiled by Zocalo Public Square and聽published by TIME. Harry Boyte, Augsburg鈥檚 Sabo Senior Fellow, argued that colleges and universities聽should renew their democratic purpose, thereby highlighting聽the important role聽these institutions play聽as public spaces for diverse interests and views to find common ground in a sharply divided society.

to learn more about Boyte’s perspective and those put forth by other leading scholars.

Harry Boyte lends expertise to Forbes

Posted on March 30, 2015February 7, 2020

Harry Boyte, senior scholar in Augsburg College’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship, was named in a聽Forbes article about the changing tides and criticisms of聽public higher education. Boyte was mentioned聽in the article due to his role as a long-time commentator on democracy and聽its relation to higher learning.

Read, on the Forbes website.

Auggies earn exclusive behind-the-scenes opportunity on Bon Jovi tour

Posted on April 3, 2013September 3, 2025

L to R, top row: Alex Jamieson, Thu Nguyen Middle: Andrea Batt, James "Bear" Mahowald Bottom: Alom Martinez Aleman, Morgan Waldorf — L to R, top row: Alex Jamieson, Thu Nguyen
Middle: Andrea Batt, James “Bear” Mahowald
Bottom: Alom Martinez Aleman, Morgan Waldorf

When it comes to community involvement and leadership, Auggies rock.

That’s why Augsburg is the only Minnesota college or university invited to participate in the Bon Jovi Community Service College Campaign when the internationally known rock band stops at the Xcel Energy Center on Sunday, April 7, for its “Because We Can” tour.

This campaign is “a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we’re excited to have the opportunity to partner with Augsburg College on it,” said Xcel Energy Center Vice President and General Manager Jack Larson. “The College’s mission, with a distinct focus on service learning, was a perfect fit for the program.” Continue reading “Auggies earn exclusive behind-the-scenes opportunity on Bon Jovi tour” →

Angela Bonfiglio named Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact

Posted on April 2, 2012July 30, 2018

Campus Compact has honored 162 students from 32 states as 2012 Newman Civic Fellows. Among the honorees is Angela Bonfiglio of Augsburg College. The Newman Civic Fellows Awards recognize inspiring college student leaders who have worked to find solutions for challenges facing their communities.

Boston, MA – Campus Compact’s member college and university presidents from across the country have nominated 162 college student leaders for the 2012 class of Newman Civic Fellows. These students are demonstrating a personal commitment to creating lasting change for the better in their communities. Through service, community-based research, and advocacy, the 2012 class of Newman Civic Fellows are making the most of their college experiences to better understand themselves and the root causes of some of the most pressing social issues that challenge us all. Continue reading “Angela Bonfiglio named Newman Civic Fellow by Campus Compact” →

Civic engagement, community service earn Augsburg College highest national recognition

Posted on March 20, 2012

honorroll Nearly 180,000 hours of community service by Augsburg College students last year earned the college a spot on the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. This is the fourth time Augsburg has been named to the Honor Roll with Distinction.

“Preparing students to participate in our democracy and providing them with opportunities to take on local and global issues in their course work are as central to the mission of education as boosting college completion and closing the achievement gap,” said Eduardo Ochoa, the U.S. Department of Education’s assistant secretary for postsecondary education. Continue reading “Civic engagement, community service earn Augsburg College highest national recognition” →