Big Citizenship
How Pragmatic Idealism Can Bring Out the Best in America
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
Throughout his career, Alan Khazei has pioneered ways to empower citizens to make a difference. His work as cofounder of City Year, the model for President Clinton's AmeriCorps, and with his second start-up, Be the Change, have put him at the forefront of a generation of innovators who have revolutionized social entrepreneurship.
Big Citizenship tells how, in the face of drastic budget cutbacks, Khazei led the effort to save AmeriCorps by convincing a huge coalition of people -- members of Congress on both sides of the aisle, governors and mayors from around the country, private sector leaders, editorial boards of major newspapers, and thousands of American citizens -- to lend their support to the fight. His journey -- from the most local of grassroots engagement to Washington, D.C. -- is an extraordinary story, and a vital model of idealism in action.
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As a young Harvard law graduate, Khazei resolved to serve his country by creating an urban organization in the style of the Peace Corps called City Year. Based in Boston, City Year has grown from a few volunteers into a massive operation with branches in 20 cities filled with young people eager to serve where they live. Khazei offers a touching memoir of what young entrepreneurs with vision can do to change not just communities but the world. Much of the book is dedicated to the pursuit of this ideal, with reference to Khazei's past efforts, Save AmeriCorps and Be the Change, allowing him to offer words of wisdom to other civically-minded would-be entrepreneurs. The late inclusion of a run for the United States Senate comes as a distraction, but may offer a further level of inspiration for readers. Khazei's Citizenship is an accessible motivational tale that is short on concrete advice but long on heart.
