CMC hosts ‘Bill of Obligations’ author Dr. Richard Haass

Advisor to four presidents – Democrat and Republican alike – leads community conversations

Note: CMC media relations distributed location-specific press releases to media outlets in CMC's district regarding each author talk Dr. Richard Haass is giving at six Colorado Mountain College campuses. This release is a culmination of all six releases.

Oct. 16, 2024 – With Election Day less than a month away, Colorado Mountain College is hosting New York Times best-selling author Dr. Richard Haass in Rediscovering Common Ground, nonpartisan talks and community conversations about Haass’ book, “The Bill of Obligations: Ten Habits of Good Citizens” from Oct. 14-17 at campuses in Aspen, Spring Valley, Vail Valley at Edwards, Leadville, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs. The book, which is Colorado Mountain College’s Common Reader for 2024, details the current civil discourse in the United States, and suggests 10 habits individuals can follow to help heal the nation.

Haass said he’d like to instill a newfound sense of immediacy among attendees at the CMC author talks.

“What motivated this book is that I am worried that we’ve taken American democracy for granted for too long,” Haass said. “I’d like people to come out of the room with a sense of urgency.”

Haass is a diplomat, historical scholar, author, editor and president emeritus of the nonpartisan Council on Foreign Relations, which he headed from 2003-23. He served at the Pentagon, State Department and White House under four presidents, Democrat and Republican alike.

Since “The Book of Obligations” was released in January 2023, dozens of news outlets have featured Haass, such as CNN, C-Span, The New York Times, Good Morning America, Washington Post Live, Amanpour and Company and PBS News Hour. Now, during the third week of October, Haass is adding six live presentations at Colorado Mountain College to his outreach.

During an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America on Jan. 26, 2023 with George Stephanopoulos, Haass, who is a foreign relations expert, remarked that people often ask him what keeps him up at night. “And increasingly,” said Haass, “I’m surprised by my own answer. It’s us. It’s the fact that we’re so divided here at home.”

Haass said his CMC talks offer a different way about thinking about being a citizen. “So much of our instinctive reaction is to think about our rights and to think about ‘what’s good for me,’” he said. “What I want to do is expand people’s perception of citizenship by thinking about our obligations, and to think ‘what’s good for others is also good for us.’”

CMC has distributed thousands of complementary copies of “The Bill of Obligations” to CMC students, staff, faculty and community members this year throughout the college’s district in anticipation of these live author talks. Books are available at CMC campuses and at Rediscovering Common Ground talks. Haass is also available for book-signing at the talks.

The talks are free and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend these special opportunities to become engaged in healing civic divides. Registration is requested for the Rediscovering Common Ground author talks by visiting Common Reader: Rediscovering Common Ground.