Although the public discourse on the importance of “good” character is ubiquitous, rarely is there opportunity to discuss with depth the nature and foundations of character and virtues such as forgiveness, joy, love, generosity, purpose & justice. The modern university, one of the most important incubators of cultural leadership, is failing in the responsibility to equip future leaders with the character necessary to promote the flourishing of a global society.
We believe there is an enormous need & strategic opportunity to influence the landscape of academia & world leadership by creating a space for students & faculty to explore & develop character & virtue. The Veritas Forum's "The Question of Character: Equipping the Next Generation" project seeks to address this need within Universities & the students they shape. Our model is to apply the best academic research – informed & shaped by religious belief – to engage students and faculty for the common good. Specifically, this project will focus on delivering Veritas Forum content that addresses three questions:
• How should we define a life of purpose & success for a generation in search of meaning?
• How do we foster resilience & persistence in the face of suffering and struggle?
• How to inspire & strengthen the other virtues necessary to a life of character, such as gratitude, forgiveness & awe?
To this end, Veritas will develop a two year project at leading secular universities through compelling, credible & winsome talks & dialogues between Christian & non-Christian scholars designed to inspire a more thoughtful approach to personal & cultural character specifically in these three areas. Our two programmatic prongs will include:
1. Large-scale campus-wide Forums at leading universities in North America & Europe with corresponding initiatives to deepen Forum impact & develop high quality content
2. Online video & audio content leveraging Forum content to reach a wider public audience
