At Roger Williams University we understand that being a global citizen means engaging in the world with people who have different points of view and being able to share our varying ideas and opinions with respect and civility. That’s why, in 2001, President Nirschel articulated promotion of civil discourse as a University core value.
In an effort to put this value into action, President Nirschel announced the Reason & Respect campaign in 2004 – a two-part program comprised of the Reason & Respect: Civil Discourse Distinguished Lecture Series and the Reason & Respect: Civil Discourse in a Global Context journal.
Roger Williams University now regularly hosts a variety of symposia and other academic explorations of some of the world’s most complex issues, including freedom of expression in the Middle East and the state of religion in today’s society.