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0.3.3 Key Learnings from HistoryVersion 1.0 March 2013                               Previous Version How does looking at history help us to determine what we value now?                                       History is, similar to science, a major source of our knowledge. ●   We must acknowledge that many people distort history for their own ends. Most histories are written from a particular perspective, demonstrating that one ethnic group, religion or nation is best, or supporting some political or economic belief. But we can still, and must, decide what lessons, if any, we can learn from history. ●   History focuses on what has happened, and suggests trends to predict what might happen in the future. It does not tell us what should happen, how we should behave. Most people obtain a significant part of their identity from their understanding of history. This may involve a vague idea of the global context, but is often focused on key events commemorated by their national, religious or ethnic group and their perception of recent historical events that have directly impacted on their personal lives. Despite all the historical complexity, we can, in an ongoing process, review historical analyses to try to discover the relevant historical events and trends that affect our well being. We use history here to provide relevant information that impacts on how we make choices in our personal day to day practice and in the political arena.  ●   Societies that encourage certain behaviours – like violent responses to personal slights – may historically have resulted in less personal fulfilment than others. ●   Some government structures, restrictions or entitlements – like democracy – have historically led to greater personal fulfilment among the population than others. ●   If we value personal fulfilment we can use these observations to develop guidelines that hopefully encourage more fulfilling personal behaviours and political choices. In these pages we try to outline global history as objectively as we can, to discover what history can tell us about the origins of civilisations, how different civilisations evolved at different rates, how some have collapsed, and how the world came to be as it is now. History adds to our universal narrative, helping us to find our role within it, providing explanations of the origin of modern society and thought and how we should react. We end up coming to this summary of our conclusions. You may be able to phrase this better. In subsequent pages we expand out and justify each one of these points. 3. Historical Conclusions                       Version 1.2 December 2016     History has good explanations of how societies began, how geographical accidents led to different rates of development rather than the good or bad attributes of any ethnic group, and how sexism and racism developed in different societies; how moving towards market economics and secular, liberal democracy and human rights, increases human happiness; how national governments and our current global institutions aren’t adequately addressing global risks to our environment and society; but despite history’s ups and downs, we choose Hope as a core value, effecting values such as freedom and prosperity, and ancillary values, such as duty, courage and strength, when applied in a good cause, and history adds to our universal narrative, providing more context for our role within it. more
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We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of Country, throughout all colonised lands, and their connections to land, waters and community. We pay respect by giving voice to truth, values and social justice, acknowledging our shared history, and valuing the cultures of first nations peoples.
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