Our Centers for Ethics:

Press release: CHARACTER COUNTS! Week 2008

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Contact: Rich Jarc, Josephson Institute of Ethics, 310-846-4800
October 2008 - For immediate release

13,500 CELEBRATIONS ACROSS THE GLOBE

More than five million children, in 56 countries, will gather with their teachers, parents and community members to celebrate the importance of character and help create a better world during National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week on October 19-25. Celebrations will include community parades, award events, assemblies, character contests and family events.

"Teaching youngsters about the importance and nature of character is the antidote to the disease of cynicism spurred by a continuous parade of misconduct," said Michael Josephson, founder of the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition, a partnership of more than 900 educational and youth-serving organizations committed to improving the ethical quality of America's young people through character education.

"It's rather extraordinary in this day and age," he added, "to mobilize thousands of schools and millions of kids to tell the world that CHARACTER COUNTS!"

CHARACTER ... WHAT OUR WORLD NEEDS MORE THAN EVER

In 2008 scandals revealing a deficiency in ethics and character have beset the nation:

• Mismanagement, recklessness, insatiable greed and possible fraud at Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, AIG and other financial institutions brought world economies to their knees.

• Media baron Conrad Black was sentenced to prison for fraud.

• Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Citigroup, and others participating in the accounting fraud that led to Enron's downfall were ordered to pay $7 billion.

• Former presidential candidate John Edwards, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, and Detroit Mayor Kwame Fitzpatrick betrayed public trust and ruined their political careers with sex scandals.

• Senator Ted Stevens, Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson and Orange County, California Sheriff Michael Corona were indicted for corruption.

• Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy, former 100-meter world record-holder Tim Montgomery, and Olympic medalist Marion Jones were sentenced to prison for various criminal violations.

 

BI-PARTISAN U.S. SENATE RESOLUTION
AND WHITE HOUSE PROCLAMATION ISSUED

OVER FIVE MILLION CHILDREN CELEBRATE!

A bi-partisan resolution, introduced by Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Pete Domenici (R-NM), along with a White House proclamation, established October 19-25 as the 15th National CHARACTER COUNTS! Week. See these and more CC! Week endorsements here.

"This program is making a difference in New Mexico and across the country," said Senator Domenici. "I encourage more people to become involved with the CHARACTER COUNTS! program."

Senator Dodd stated, "Character education programs work. Schools across the country that have adopted strong character education programs report better student performance, fewer discipline problems, and increased student involvement within the community."

To find out what's happening in your area, please email cverity@jiethics.org.

About CHARACTER COUNTS!
The Josephson Institute of Ethics, a nonpartisan, nonsectarian, non-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in Los Angeles, CA, created and administers the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition. CHARACTER COUNTS! is the nation's most widely implemented approach to character education.

For more information, please visit CharacterCounts.org/ccweek.