Thought Leadership
Eberly is an accomplished intellectual leader and prolific writer, speaker, and frequent media commentator.
He is the author or editor of 10 books on topics ranging from civil society and culture to international affairs. He has contributed a substantial body of work on the subject of American civil society, both as a thinker and a practitioner, and his work has been sited in over 2,000 academic publications.
Referring to one of his books, University of Pennsylvania scholar John Dilulio stated: “Don Eberly is America’s leading thinker on Civil Society.”
Key Titles
One leading book, The Rise of Global Civil Society: Building Communities and Nations from the Bottom Up, details the rise worldwide of local non-governmental associations and the role of U.S. philanthropy as a powerful tool of American soft power. It portrays American private sector generosity and support for civil society as one of the most consequential American exports.
The book has received circulation among reformers in the Middle East. Commenting on the book, Presidential aid and director of the USA Freedom Corps, John Bridgeland, stated: “No one in America is better positioned to tell this story than Don Eberly, who has worked both in the trenches of communities around the world and at the highest levels of our government.”
Eberly is also the author of Liberate and Leave: Fatal Flaws in the Early Strategy for Postwar Iraq, a critically praised book that offers an authoritative account of the planning and execution of post-war institution building, based on his frontlines experience as a senior civilian in Baghdad following the removal of Saddam Hussein.
Ambassador Robin Raphel describes the book as “a riveting personal account of the ingenious and courageous efforts Don Eberly and others made to keep Iraq from collapsing in the wake of the invasion. I served in the trenches with Don, and he has captured the whole tumultuous experience at ground level.” Presidential envoy General Jay Garner calls it “required reading for all military professionals, members of Congress, and interagency officials who will be involved in our nation’s future war and postwar challenges.”
Eberly’s edited volume, The Essential Civil Society Reader: Classics in the American Civil Society Debate, published by Rowman & Littlefield, is considered a leading text for civil society studies in political theory programs. It has been translated into Chinese and published by The Commercial Press, the oldest publisher in China.
Academic Training
Eberly’s academic training includes PhD studies at Penn State University, and masters degrees in government studies from George Washington University and Harvard University. He was the recipient of a fellowship from the Bradley Foundation to attend the Kennedy School of Government, where he earned a masters degree in government administration. He also did graduate studies in the social sciences at Millersville University and holds a BS from Cairn University.
Awards & Affiliations
For his contributions to post-war development in Iraq and Afghanistan, Eberly received numerous Meritorious Honor Awards from the U.S. government, including:
Meritorious Honor Award, U.S. Department of State
Certificate of Commendation, Coalition Provisional Authority
Distinguished Service Award, President of the United States
Expeditionary Service Award, U.S. Department of State
Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award, Department of Defense
Eberly’s past scholarly affiliations include:
Affiliated Scholar, Institute for American Values
Fellow, George Gallup, Jr. International Institute
Fellow, Sagamore Institute
Advisory Board, American Assembly
National Commission on Civic Renewal