The Moral Courage Project is a new initiative at the NYU Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service directed by RCLA Visiting Scholar Irshad Manji.
The Moral Courage Project aims to identify and learn from leaders who will challenge political correctness, intellectual conformity and self-censorship. In the best spirit of liberal education, the Moral Courage Project teaches that rights come with responsibilities, that we are citizens rather than members of mere tribes, and that meaningful diversity embraces different ideas and not just identities.
"Moral courage" is considered from various perspectives: philosophical, political, literary and psychological. Questions include: What is moral courage? When does it become necessary to speak truth to power and thereby risk the disapproval of your community, your organizational culture, or entrenched interests in "the system"? In times of moral crisis, is there something beyond disapproval that good people fear by going against the grain? Who in our civic and religious traditions best embody moral courage? How did they benefit their communities and not just their individual consciences? Is moral courage truly in short supply today or are its practitioners eclipsed by other voices? Can we foster public appreciation, and consequently support, of moral courage?
Inspired by the Islamic tradition of independent thinking known as ijtihad, which celebrates dynamic interpretation, individual creativity and communal renewal, the Moral Courage Project hosts public conversations with current champions of moral courage, includes a graduate course on the subject in the fall of 2008, and engages with new media to foster dialogue within NYU Wagner and between young people worldwide about morally courageous leadership.
Irshad Manji is the internationally best-selling author of The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith. Her book has been published in almost 30 countries, including Pakistan, India and Lebanon. Free translations are available on her Web site to reach readers where the book has been censored.
Irshad is also creator of the acclaimed PBS documentary, "Faith Without Fear," which chronicles a young woman's journey to reconcile Islam with human rights and freedom.
Visiting Irshad Manji's Web site for more information.