5 minutes
Goodbye, Edward de Bono
Dr..
Alaa Jarrad
Garad@alaagarad.com
June 14, 2021
He passed away on the ninth of this June, the author of the theory of creative thinking, and the owner of the Six Thinking Hats, which I highlighted in this column, on the first of December 2020.
He left quietly on the island of Malta, of which de Bono is an icon. The President of Malta, George Villa, mourned him, saying: The death of Professor Edward de Bono is a loss for the whole nation. He put Malta on the map and changed ways of thinking.
De Bono was born on May 19, 1933, and obtained his Bachelor of Medicine from the University of Malta, then a Masters in Psychology from Oxford University in Britain, and then a Doctorate in Medicine from the University of Cambridge. He authored more than 60 books to explain his theories of creative thinking, and help people break free From stereotypical thinking and overusing logic, the BBC presented a television series based on his work, he worked as a lecturer at the three universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, and founded the New York School of Thinking in the United States.
De Bono was able to document and disseminate his idea, in addition to training a fleet of qualified trainers. In 1991, the number of trainers of creative thinking reached 400 trainers, working in 27 countries, helping international companies such as Boeing, Nestle, Ernst & Young and Airlines British.
He was a successful businessman, as his companies and training programs achieved unprecedented success in all countries of the world.
His work earned him international fame, and many universities awarded him honorary doctorates, from Melbourne in Australia to Dundee in Scotland, but the greatest honor was received when a planet was named after him, the planet DE73, which became Edebono, in recognition and in honor of his name, and the National Medal of Merit was awarded by Malta in 1995.
De Bono was very interested in the education system, and he always believed that children should be given the opportunity to think creatively, and trust their abilities, and he conducted a practical experiment, where he asked groups of children to develop solutions to big problems, such as designs for homes, and published the results of the experiment in 1972 in a book entitled « Children solve problems.” He also believed in the importance of humor, that it shortens distances, and that this skill should be learned.
He developed solutions to intractable problems, including the problem of Israel and Palestine. Among his most important achievements in the recent period is the establishment of the “New Thinking Palace” initiative at the Presidential Palace in Malta, which is a platform for generating new thinking on global issues, and a contribution to the world in order to reconsider ways of thinking.
De Bono chose to establish his legacy project on the island of Malta because it has a long history, and at the same time is too young to pose a threat to any country, and an expression of his belonging to his homeland.
I met him in 2001 in Abu Dhabi, and then in 2020 via the Internet, as part of the education system development team in Malta. When I asked him to write a word for my new book, I received the word within days, and this is a lesson I will never forget, as humility and work remain among the hallmarks of great men. De Bono's body is gone, but his work and contributions will live on.
His funeral will take place on Saturday 19 June at 10:30 am CET, and will be broadcast live through a link on deBono.com.
• De Bono was able to document and disseminate his idea, in addition to training a fleet of qualified trainers.
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Garad@alaagarad.com
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Garad@alaagarad.com