Securing the Common Good

Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Georgetown University, Washington, DC, Gaston Hall
Keynote address by William Jefferson Clinton
8:15am to 12:00pm - Registration/check in closes at 8:25am

Watch the Conference (Quicktime MPEG4 format)

Opening remarks / morning address
John Podesta opens the conference
Congressman Meek's morning address, with introduction by John Podesta

Plenary panel
Panel moderated by E.J. Dionne, with introduction by John Halpin

Keynote address
John Podesta introduces Dr. John DeGioia
Dr. John DeGioia introduces Wiliam J. Clinton
President Clinton's address
Question & Answer with President Clinton

Listen to the Conference (MP3 format)
John Podesta's opening remarks and introduction of Congressman Meek
Congressman Kendrick B. Meek
Plenry Panel (part 1 of 2)
Plenry Panel (part 2 of 2)
John Podesta introduces Dr. John DeGioia
Dr. John DeGioia introduces William J. Clinton
President Clinton's address
Q & A with President Clinton

Transcripts
Congressman Meek and John Podesta's Intro (.pdf)
Plenary Panel (.pdf)
President Clinton's remarks
Question & answer session with President Clinton

The common good, as both a philosophical ideal and approach to governing, has a rich history in the civic strands of American thought and in the values and principles of the U.S. Constitution. It is also a powerful theme in the social teachings of many major faith traditions. In both the civic and faith realms, a commitment to the common good means pursuing policies and community actions that benefit all individuals and balance self-interest with the needs of the entire society. It recognizes that government -- while not the only tool -- is essential for helping people pursue their dreams, and that the business, labor, faith and NGO communities play a critical role as well.

The common good approach to politics represents a clear break with the radical individualism, corruption and greed that define contemporary American life. It marks the end of a politics that leaves people to rise and fall on their own.

Program
Opening remarks by John D. Podesta, President and CEO, Center for American Progress

Morning address by Hon. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL), 17th Congressional District

Morning Plenary Panel
Introduction by John Halpin, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Moderated by E.J. Dionne, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution; Professor, Georgetown University; Columnist, The Washington Post

Panelists
Anna Burger, Secretary-Treasurer, Service Employees International Union, CLC
Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, North American President, World Council of Churches
Neal Katyal, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center and lead counsel in the U.S. Supreme Court case Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
Michael Kazin, Professor of History, Georgetown University and author of A Godly Hero: The Life of William Jennings Bryan
Hon. Thomas Pérez, Councilmember, Montgomery County, Maryland and Associate Professor of Law, University of Maryland
Bruce Reed, President, Democratic Leadership Council
Gayle Smith, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Introduction of Dr. John DeGioia, President of Georgetown University, by John D. Podesta

Introduction of President William J. Clinton by Dr. John DeGioia

Keynote address by President William J. Clinton

Concluding Remarks by Melody C. Barnes, Executive Vice President for Policy, Center for American Progress

There will be two short breaks during the program.

Speaker and Panelist Biographies

Further Resources on the Common Good
Katrina and the Common Good
Common Good Progressivism