Carnegie Council

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Speaker's Guide

Giving a Presentation at a Carnegie Council Event

• Welcome
• Ethics Matter
• Event Format, Broadcasting Your Event, Interview Opportunity
• Carnegie Council Distribution Network
• Presentation Tips

WELCOME

Thank you for agreeing to speak at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914, the Council is an independent, nonprofit, educational 501(c)3 institution serving international affairs professionals, teachers, students, and the attentive public.

Since its inception, the Council has focused on the enduring importance of ethical values in international relations. The Council aspires to be a worldwide "voice for ethics." We provide a non-partisan, open forum for discussions that go beyond the political efficacy and economic efficiency of policies to questions of values, principles, and moral argument—discussions which might not otherwise take place.

Operating under its own charter and its own governance structure, the Council embodies Andrew Carnegie’s two great philanthropic interests: extending educational opportunity and promoting the peaceful resolution of conflict.

ETHICS MATTER

The Council takes a pluralistic approach to ethics—that is, while discarding the conceit that all norms are equally valid, the Council promotes constructive dialogue and mutual learning.

By ethics, we mean systematic reflection on the standards by which policy choices are made and defended, and attention to the three pillars of ethics that guide the Carnegie Council: pluralism, rights and responsibilities, and fairness.

We ask you to bear these principles in mind when preparing your presentation, and include some discussion of the ethical issues raised by your topic.

For more information, on our approach to ethics, click here.

EVENT FORMAT

The Council has an informed and loyal following. Audiences typically consist of diplomats, educators, students, journalists, NGO representatives, members of the business community, and concerned citizens.

Our venues are small—the maximum number is normally 100 people—and the question and answer session following each event is always lively.

BROADCASTING YOUR EVENT

Our physical venue is small, but our outreach is considerable. We record most Carnegie Council events on video and/or audio. You will be given a permissions form to sign to allow us to broadcast your presentation.

Your presentation may also become part of our Global Ethics Forum (GEF) series of radio and TV programs.

GEFs are being picked up by Public Radio and TV Channels as well as campus radio stations. They are designed to fill a half-hour hour time slot, so we will edit your presentation down to approximately 24 minutes. In keeping with our mission, we will focus on maintaining the integrity of your ideas and maximizing the credibility of the presentation.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY

We invite you to be interviewed by one of our staff before or after your event. Please contact the program director for more details.

CARNEGIE COUNCIL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

Carnegie Council Website

The website currently receives an average of 500,000 unique page views per month, and the number continues to grow.

Events are featured as follows:

• Video
• Audio
• Transcript

Global Policy Innovations events, including Workshops for Ethics in Business, are also featured on our online magazine Policy Innovations.

Over the Internet at Large

• Live video webcast
  Streamed live from the Ustream website and the Council website
• Free audio podcast via RSS feed and iTunes
  Council podcasts are consistently in the top ten in the iTunes Government & Organizations and Nonprofit categories, with over 70,000 downloads a month.
• Video clips on the Council YouTube channel and Blip.tv
• Event transcript sent out via RSS feed

Public Radio and TV Channels, Campus Radio Stations

Global Ethics Forums

PRESENTATION TIPS

How to Maximize the Effectiveness and Longevity of Your Presentation
(especially important for the Global Ethics Forum series)

• Avoid specific time references that date the material. Say—"fall of 2009" not "today," refer to time by date—"the President met with… on October 11,” not "last week," et cetera.
• Take a moment to explain jargon or abbreviations. The more general audience may not know them, even though the live Carnegie Council audience is relatively sophisticated.
• Stay at the microphone. A sound technician will get the right level so you don't have to lean into it, but you shouldn't move extensively as that will degrade the sound quality.
• Don't thump, tap, or bang the podium or table. Sounds are picked up easily.
• If your book is displayed on the podium or table, please lay it flat before you begin to speak.
• Ignore the cameras and speak to the audience.
• The cameras are mounted high to shoot over the audience. Try not to lean over or look down too much. Please sit or stand tall.
• Begin and end with a clear introduction and conclusion that we can use to form the Global Ethics Forum show. One or two lines each are enough. For example: "I would like to talk about…” and "In conclusion…"
• Discuss the underlying or implicit ethical issues.