Civilian National Service programs. This was hosted by the Brookings Institution. It is one hour and 10 minutes. John good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Im john allen, the president of brookings and on behalf of the institution and our partners at Service Year Alliance, i want to welcome you all to this important event today. I want to welcome those coming in over the webcast and of course we always welcome the media. This morning youll be hearing from a distinguished group of leaders and volunteers on the matter of National Service. Let me make a few brief comments to begin with. In such divided and turbulent times, we must look for ways to bridge society, to bridge the divides and to restore a sense of community. In recent years, much has been done, sadly, to burn rather than to build the bridges in our civic nation, leading to a growing culture of fear and distrust, incivility, and a reflex to retreat into the safety of tribalism. Our trusted institutions and our trust in each othe