The host of the discussion was Nikola Juri\u0161i\u0107<\/strong>, senior cultural expert at McKinsey, specialized in building value-based systems, with global experience at the organization, state and society levels.<\/p>\n Nikola Juri\u0161i\u0107<\/p><\/div>\n The panelists agreed that the first step towards building a society based on values \u200b\u200bis an individual\u2019s personal choice or decision. Society only changes if individuals change their way of thinking. By changing the mentality of each one of us and starting with a personal change, instead of trying to change others, we contribute to the global change. The panelists place hope in the younger generations, recognizing their desire to find meaning, purpose and value.<\/p>\n Richard Barrett pointed out that his center\u2019s research indicates that most people are not aware of their actions\u2019 and behavior\u2019s effect on others and the whole planet, and that our thoughts and beliefs affect our physical and mental health. Becoming aware of the above mentioned, means caring about how our thoughts and beliefs affect our actions and behavior, which in turn affects primarily our physical and mental health, and then consequentially, our environment.\u00a0Working on ourselves helps us to achieve this through inner maturation, development of consciousness and finding our inner compass. Barrett also invited all interested individuals to join his Humanity Awareness Initiative and participate in a free Barrett Academy course called \u201cBuilding a values \u200b\u200bdriven life\u201d.<\/p>\n Richard Barrett<\/p><\/div>\n That is exactly what the Scandinavian nations did 150 years ago, according to Tomas Bjorkman. At the panel, he shared a part of Scandinavian history from 1850s when so-called Folk Schools were started, at which time the broad masses commenced a period of personal development which lasted for 6 months. These schools were often isolated in nature, creating an ideal context for personal growth. At one point, there were over 325 of these specialized schools in Scandinavia, which helped over ten percent of the entire Scandinavian people go through their six-month program and find their personal compass. The \u201cNordic Secret\u201d book contains a detailed historical description of this most successful experience of “building a values-based society” in the past 200 years. This history has been forgotten even by the majority of Scandinavian people and both because of that very reason, and in order to share the “Scandinavian secret” with other countries, Tomas participated in the writing of the book \u201cNordic Secret\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.exitfondacija.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/1000x600_Nikola-Jurisic.jpg\")
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