Critical Thinking School for Active Youth

The Critical Thinking School, held March 16–18 at the Eurasia Partnership Foundation office, was based on teaching critical thinking, the basics of media literacy, and the approach of conflict transformation.

“Over three days, we tried to help the participants to think more critically about both different events and clashes happening in Armenia and the information sources and media reports about them,” says Media Initiatives Center’s Media Literacy Project Manager Lusine Grigoryan.

The school’s approximately 40 participants were introduced to critical thinking and conflict transformation methodology, and acquired skills in text analysis, data specification, and uncovering of fake information.

“We tried, on one hand, to give new knowledge, and, on the other hand, to update and deepen the existing information. During text analysis and group exercises, we discussed and identified sources, purposes, sub-layers, and motives,” adds Lusine.

The course focused on social, anti-corruption, local self-governance, and human rights reforms.

The seminars, interactive discussions, and practical exercises were conducted by leading experts in the field.

Eurasia Partnership Foundation Program Manager Isabella Sargsyan explains why conversations and discussions on critical thinking are important today.

“Around the world, noise in the tide of information has increased, information has multiplied several times, it’s become harder to search for the right information and make the right conclusions. It’s necessary to become familiar with a few critical thinking tools, to understand and analyze the compliance of information to reality.”

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This school was held within the scope of the Media for Informed Civic Engagement (MICE) and Peacebuilding through Capacity Enhancement and Civic Engagement (PeaCE) projects.