Our Common Story: How?

Our Common Story is primarily a matter of education at all levels of our society here in the United States and around the world.  Virtually no adult living today was formally taught Our Common Story, because our educational institutions have promoted specialization and the division of labor.  While we have gained much through this specialization in academics as well as at work, we miss out on something profound and important if that is all we do. 

Today, there is a new core curriculum in science and history that should be required of every competent citizen in our twenty-first century global civilization.  Without understanding this science and history, which means also the history of economics, technology, conflict, and culture, we cannot appropriately understand the world around us, nor address the many challenges which humanity faces in the twenty-first century.

Universities and colleges: We seek to promote new undergraduate courses, team taught and otherwise, that teach Our Common Story and engage students in thinking critically and existentially about our common future.  We need to develop standards and assess the results. These experiments then need to then be adapted and best practices promoted. See the curricula and bibliography.

Book Clubs and Adult Education: You do not need a college classroom to begin learning about Our Common Story.  A number of excellent books exist for this purpose.  Consider creating a reading group or book club to read and discuss these books with friends. See the curricula and bibliography.

Speakers and Lectures: A number of speakers are available to give lectures at your community group, congregation, or school.  Consider hosting such an event.  Put together a seminar with your colleagues.

Television, Film, and New Media: We need to harness the power of television, film, and other new media to popularize Our Common Story, harnessing not only the power of the spoken word, but the incredible beauty of images from contemporary science.

Seminaries and Adult Religious Education: Far from being anti-religious, the new science and the new history of Our Common Story provide a powerful and productive context for re-interpreting traditional religious insights in ways that promote a new realism about religious intuitions.  Consider creating a reading group or adult religious education series in your congregation.  Clergy and seminarians especially need to understand Our Common Story and the interpretation thereof.

Internationalization: Even as we seek to promote Our Common Story here in the United States and other English-speaking countries, we need to begin translation projects and educational initiatives around the world.  Our Common Story is an antidote to regional chauvinism and religious extremism and a powerful way to promote international conflict resolution and pragmatic collaboration in solving the great challenges of the twenty-first century.

K-12 Education: The end game is to eventually transform science and history education in primary and secondary schools.  In ten years, we envision an educational system in which we can eventually take it for granted that every graduate would already be well acquainted with the basic outline of Our Common Story and many of the details thereof.

Sign the Resolution:  Please sign the resolution and solicit the endorsements of your organization.  By debating this resolution in your local congregation, your community group, and your local school board, we already accomplish many of our goals.  In the end, Our Common Story must become a question of public education policy before legislative bodies at all level of our society.