Roundtable THINKING – Beliefs
In times of Ancient Greece, community was developed through dialogue which addressed what Socrates called ‘matters of the soul’ and education was the stuff of virtue. Socratic dialogue was built on the belief that when people talk to one another about things that really matter, understanding deepens and community develops. Genuine social inclusion allows the individual to connect to the whole. This connection builds capacity for creativity and sustainable thinking.
The world is calling on us to become more Socratic: to listen deeper, to be curious together and to play with new thinking as social engagement. It is time to establish foundations of understanding that supersede politics and economics.
In the coming decades we will no doubt experience a fundamental change in the way we live together, govern, communicate and collaborate.
People are waking up to a new role in an active and deeply democratic way and proving themselves open to alternative ideologies. As organizations and communities renew and connect they create cultural currency and the power to influence. Although the potential for social change through collective thinking is impossible to forecast its awakening holds the power to move us to new and exciting territory.
This awakening can transform our way of living together, making decisions and implementing thoughtful and sustainable plans of action.
Roundtable THINKING is a platform for sharing ideas, interests and experiences which reflect principles of deep democracy and full inclusion, from the classroom to the boardroom.
The Roundtable metaphor acknowledges that there are never just two positions or perspectives on any issue or point of consideration. Shoulder to shoulder positioning legitimately and fairly opens space for the minority voice and the otherwise marginalized.