Press Advisory

Securing the Common Good

A Vision for America

Visit the conference web page.

Washington, DC – On October 18, 2006, the Center for American Progress will hold a half-day conference on the common good at Georgetown University’s Gaston Hall with a keynote address by President William J. Clinton, opening remarks by Hon. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) and a morning plenary panel – a full list of speakers follows below.

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.

The re-emergence of the “Common Good’ represents a clear break with the brand of politics that leaves people to rise and fall on their own. It re-establishes America’s sense of community, promotes economic opportunity for all, and restores a universal hope in the American dream.

Securing the Common Good: A Vision for America

Opening Address:
Hon. Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL)
, 17th Congressional District

Keynote Address:
President William J. Clinton

MORNING PLENARY PANEL

Introduction by:
John Halpin, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Moderated by:
E.J. Dionne, Syndicated Columnist, The Washington Post

Featured Speakers:
Anna Burger, Secretary-Treasurer, Service Employees International Union, CLC

Neal Katyal, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center and lead counsel in the US 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

Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, North American President, World Council of Churches
Bruce Reed, President, Democratic Leadership Council
Gayle Smith, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

ADDITIONAL SPECIAL REMARKS BY

John D. Podesta, President and CEO, Center for American Progress

John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University

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

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Program: 8:15 AM to 12:00 PM

Doors Open: 7:30 AM

**Registration check-in closes at 8:20 AM**

A light breakfast will be served at 7:30 AM
Admission is free.

Georgetown University

Gaston Hall

37th and O Street NW

Washington, DC 20057