{"ops":[{"insert":"People across the world are increasingly focused on how they can actively make improvements in their local areas. There is no doubt that the future of human societies will entail emphases on developing national and international relationships and this will and should of course continue and grow. We are one species capable of handling highly complex problems and working together under the right conditions.\n\nBut we must also do our best thinking locally, to bring our communities together for the public interest. People are often split politically and distrustful of one another. Many pressing and significant issues face our communities. We need to cultivate education systems that actually develop the minds of its students so they learn to reason through complex issues. We need to create parks and programs that enhance the physical and emotional well-being of the people living in the community, to bring more art, theatre, and other forms of culture and beauty to our communities. We need to work toward sustainability of the earth’s resources right at home, sharing and developing resources for doing so. We must give life to the concept of inclusion so all people in our communities can reach their potential. We must work together for solutions. But how? What tools can be used for this purpose? How can these tools be taught to the people?\n\nThe answer is critical thinking, and its sister, creative thinking.\n\nFortunately, people are increasingly focused on what they can do to improve their local communities through the development of local talent, through inclusion programs, and by working together for the collective good. At the same time, people are fishing around for answers. Discussion groups are forming across the internet. "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"But what is usually missing is an emphasis on high level reasoning through the issues being discussed using explicit tools of critical thinking. We need high level discourse to become the norm in human societies. At present such discourse is the exception."},{"insert":"\n\nWe can work with your local groups to introduce the concepts and principles in a robust, integrated, fairminded conception of critical thinking that can be taught to all community members (of all ages) as you work together to reason through the issues and concerns you face, and develop the programs you would like to see realized for your community. Contact me at elder@criticalthinking.org to learn more about how this can be done.\n"}]}