AICI Celebrates May as International Civility Awareness Month

    


    
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<p><span class="xn-location">SACRAMENTO</span>, Calif., <span class="xn-chron">May 4</span> /CNW/ -- The Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) has declared May International Civility Awareness Month in an effort to raise awareness of the decline of civility around the world. This listing is now officially on the Chase's Calendar of Events Web site, and will be permanently included in the 2011 Edition of Chase's Calendar of Events, The Ultimate Go-to Guide for Special Days, Weeks and Months.</p>
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    (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080326/AICILOGO)

    
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<p><span class="xn-person">Lynne Marks</span>, AICI CIM, president of the international association, and founder of the <span class="xn-location">London</span> Image Institute, headquartered in <span class="xn-location">Atlanta</span>, GA, believes, "There is a logical and compelling connection between civility and the ABC's of Image (Appearance, Behavior and Communication)." In fact, AICI says, "Civility is the new image. Incivility not only impedes our daily interactions with other people but also is costly for business. A 2009 study by Porath and Pearson concluded that incivility in the American workplace costs businesses hundreds of billions of dollars every year."</p>
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<p>The Civility Counts Project was inspired by <span class="xn-person">Dr. P.M. Forni</span>, cofounder of the Civility Project at Johns Hopkins University and author of Choosing Civility --The Twenty Five Rules of Considerate Conduct (St. Martin's Griffin N.Y. 2002). Yasmin Anderson-Smith, AICI CIP, who chairs the Civility Counts Project Committee and authored an AICI white paper Civility Counts: An Image Perspective says, "<span class="xn-person">Dr. Forni</span> defines civility as being all about kindness, consideration, sensitivity, caring, giving and nurturing." Anderson-Smith founded Every Girl Can, a nonprofit based in Bowie, Maryland, and is a civility and etiquette expert. "It is a code of conduct based on the principles of 'Respect, Restraint and Responsibility,'" she said.</p>
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<p>The Civility Counts Project was first introduced at the 2009 Conference in <span class="xn-location">Irvine, CA</span>, with the City of <span class="xn-location">Los Angeles</span> proclaiming "<span class="xn-location">Los Angeles</span> Civility Awareness Day." "It was then we committed to a grass-roots effort to launch a 'civility epidemic' and spread the word around the world by encouraging our global membership to gather proclamations from city and state agencies, including business and professional organizations,'' states <span class="xn-person">Deborah King</span>, AICI CIP, who heads up the proclamation effort. "We have accumulated proclamations from around the world to display during the 2010 conference, and this is just the beginning. This process will be ongoing every year, as part of our commitment to Civility."</p>
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<p>This year, AICI celebrates its 20th Anniversary in <span class="xn-location">Vancouver</span>, British Columbia, <span class="xn-location">Canada</span> from <span class="xn-chron">Thursday, May 20</span> through <span class="xn-chron">Sunday, May 23, 2010</span>. Anderson-Smith and King, founder of the Final Touch Finishing School in Decatur, TX, will be presenting a conference workshop entitled Civility Counts: Boost Your Business and Your Life.</p>
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<p>AICI, the Source for Image Professionals in Education, Experience and Excellence, is the leading and largest professional association of personal and corporate image consultants worldwide. A nonprofit organization, AICI is dedicated to advancing the level of professionalism and enhancing the recognition of image consultants. Online at <a href="http://www.aici.org">www.aici.org</a>.</p>
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<p>Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.</p>
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    Lynn Marks
    https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=84462

    Yasmin Anderson Smith
    https://profnet.prnewswire.com/Subscriber/ExpertProfile.aspx?ei=76516



    

For further information: Carole Ann Lyons, Publicist, [phone], [email protected], or Katherine Wurzburg, VP Marketing, [phone], [email protected], both of AICI Web Site: http://www.aici.org