My vision for Malta

Malta is not a great economic power. Malta is not a great military power. Malta is not a great political power. Malta is a very small country with a fantastic history. It may be enough to live on that history – or it may not be enough.

Malta does not need to be significant in the world. Malta could quietly go its own way earning income from tourism and light industry. Being significant in the world may not be that important.

There are not many ways in which a small country like Malta can be significant in the world. There is one unique and very special way in which Malta can achieve world significance. I shall focus on that way in this piece.

There is a mathematical need for new ideas and new thinking. The leading physicist in the world, Murray Gell-Mann, who won his Nobel prize for discovering the quark, has always been a supporter of my work. He commissioned a team of computer experts to simulate what I wrote in my book The Mechanism Of Mind. They reported that the system would work exactly as claimed. Other computer teams have come to the same conclusion. Mathematicians have understood the need for "provocation" because self-organising systems reach a "local equilibrium" and need provocation to reach a more "global equilibrium".

Where are new ideas to come from?

Many years ago I tried to set up a creative thinking group at the United Nations. The response was very disappointing. At one of the meetings, Kofi Annan was present and was not enthusiastic. They said they were there to represent their countries – not to do independent thinking.

When a major country puts forward a new idea on world affairs this will always be seen as part of the policy of that major country. Even good ideas may be resented for that reason.

There is a need for a small independent country to become the platform for new ideas. In this way the ideas come to exist in their own right and are not seen as a part of the policy of a major player.

The EU year of Creativity 2009 provides a perfect and unique opportunity for Malta to become the world centre for new ideas.

There are over 70 books of mine with translations into 41 languages.

I have been invited to lecture in 61 countries. In general, I am regarded as the leading authority in the world in creative thinking. Last year, a Nobel Prize economist told me that the previous week he had been at the top economics meeting in Washington and they were using my methods. Later in the year, a woman in New Zealand told me she had been teaching my Six Hats in the highlands of Papua New Guinea (regarded as the most primitive place in the world). She told me she went back a month later and they told her it had changed their lives. I am on the Accenture list of the 50 most influential business thinkers in the world. I am one of the 20 living visionaries selected by an Austrian business journal. A group of academics put together a CD of the 250 people who had most contributed in the whole history of humanity. I am one of those chosen. So there is some background.

The methods of lateral thinking can be used formally and deliberately to create new ideas.

The methods can be very powerful. A workshop for a steel company in South Africa generated 21,000 new ideas in one afternoon using just one of the lateral thinking tools. Creativity is a skill that can be learned, practised and used.

The Maltese are highly intelligent people. Unfortunately, this intelligence is too often used in lawyer-type thinking: to defend a point of view or to attack a point of view. This is the opposite of constructive and creative thinking. The fault is that of education, worldwide. Education is concerned with knowledge, judgment and argument. It is never concerned with design, perception and creativity.

So the potential in Malta for creative thinking is very high. There is a need for some training in the methods. Malta could then become the Creative Think Tank for the world. Other people would, of course, be invited in to take part in the discussions. In fact, other countries would be invited to locate a "thinker" of their choice on a permanent basis in Malta as a "thinking ambassador".

My plan is to set up in Malta a Palace of Thinking. This should be an imposing and iconic building which must look good in photographs and on television. This is necessary to give "thinking" the dignity and importance it deserves. It would not be much use to say that the centre for thinking was in Room 23 on the second floor of a building.

I have had discussions regarding the feasibility of establishing such a palace in Malta – at least for the Year of Creativity. If Malta does not prove possible then the palace will be located in Spain, Italy or Latvia (which have shown interest). It would be a pity if Malta missed out on this unique opportunity.

The present occupiers of such a palace could remain in place. The palace would be designated The Palace of Thinking and some meetings would take place there.

There could be a lease arrangement.

I believe it would be a great pity if this unique opportunity for Malta to achieve world significance was missed. I seriously doubt whether such an opportunity will ever occur again.

I hope that other people can come to share this vision and to help make it happen. Malta is a very special place and deserves a special place in the world.

Prof. de Bono is regarded as the leading authority in the world in the area of creative thinking and the direct teaching of thinking as a skill.