"What you see too often in Washington and elsewhere around the country is a system of government that seems incapable of action. You see a Congress twisted and pulled in every direction by hundreds of well-financed and powerful special interests. You see every extreme position defended to the last vote, almost to the last breath, by one unyielding group or another. You often see a balanced and a fair approach that demands sacrifice, a little sacrifice from everyone, abandoned like an orphan without support and without friends. Often you see paralysis and stagnation and drift. You don't like it, and neither do I. What can we do?"

President Jimmy Carter's words, spoken over 30 years ago, resonate with me like it was yesterday. In the famous "Malaise Speech," he described American dissatisfaction with government and a "crisis of confidence" in the ability of our leaders to come together to build a brighter tomorrow for our children and their children.

Around the time of his speech, I had arrived in New York from Johannesburg. I distinctly recall – much like today – Americans fearful about the price of oil, distraught about the economy, and troubled by an uncertain future. The recession of 1974-75 had bumped up unemployment to nearly 9 percent – not far off today's figure of 9.5 percent -- and people were worried about losing their jobs. Inflation kept inching up (and would eventually reach an unprecedented level during Carter's Administration). The image that became my "welcome to America" was long gas lines that snaked around neighborhood blocks, what many viewed as a telling symbol of government inaction. Much like today, people were growing increasingly angry at the government's inability to solve everyday problems that plagued the average citizen.

You only have to open the newspaper today to note a similar type of malaise caused by the general perception that government is incapable of helping its people. In households across America, the politician has become synonymous with power, self- interest, and ineffectiveness. The Pew Research Center captured such deep dissatisfaction in a survey of about 2,500 people in March. Amid their findings: a lowly 22 percent said they trusted the government almost always or most of the time – one of the lowest measures in half a century.

Are they right?

While the speed of change in Washington can feel at times infuriatingly slow, both the Administration and Congress have been anything but inactive. Much has been accomplished. Landmark health care change. Financial services reform. Stimulus money to stem the tide of a faltering economy. Bank bailouts. The job's bill. And that is just the tip of the iceberg on the domestic front. Nonetheless, there is a palpable sense of discontent among average citizens fueled by a number of variables: among them, an anemic economic recovery that lurches forward one month, limps back the next; stubborn unemployment figures that refuse to shrink; incessant partisanship so rancorous that I need not cite examples here; and a 24/7 media echo chamber that thrives on hyperbole from both sides of the aisle.

As President Carter asked long ago: "What can we do?" What is our role, as a sector, in helping restore civility to the public square and confidence that a government, created for and by the people, is capable of creating conditions in which they can succeed?

Our Individual Role. Positive change starts with each of us on a deeply personal level. We must be willing to listen to and engage with people whose views are different than our own. We must not simply discount a human being because he or she has chosen a career path on Wall Street, with a pharmaceutical company or in the US military. Instead, we must model the behavior we want to see: discussions about our nation's most difficult topics – whether immigration or racism or poverty that are anchored to

• Reason and logic -- not emotional appeals or knee-jerk reactions;
• A sincere willingness to engage -- not a tone-deaf ear; and
• An open mind – not defensive posturing.

Many of us try to do this already of course. Though I also wonder how often we invite into our organizations those people with view points, values, and priorities very different than our own. By doing so and through our work we can underscore the importance of open, rational engagement.

Our Collective Role. Our community serves as a bridge between the people and government. It is through our organizations -- be it helping people at risk, building a new mosque and Islamic center, or advocating for green spaces -- that Americans connect with one another, society, and government. This gives us a special opportunity to invite our stakeholders to consider their views of government and what they can do to either support its progress or make it better.

As a nation, we've been through rough patches before … and we will face them again. Historians say that President Carter's speech boomeranged. Opinion polls initially shot up, but soon people were asking why he, one of the most powerful individuals on the planet, wasn't fixing the nation's problems. That may not have been a reasonable expectation that even the president could meet.

It is up to all of us to create a climate that fosters constructive problem solving and inspires all community members to respect and engage with others. Gerald Ford promised "compromise, conciliation and cooperation." Bill Clinton talked about "putting people first" and "a place called hope". George H.W. Bush sought a "kinder and gentler" world. President Obama said, "Yes we can." A single person can offer a vision, but can't alone transform it into reality – doing so requires our collective effort. As midterm elections approach, let's add our voice to the debate in ways that are productive, helpful, and educational. Together we can build more effective programs that offer a brighter tomorrow and help create a healthier democracy.