An understanding of history and all of the humanities are critical for cultivating a democratic society that is able to defend itself from short-sighted, undemocratic, bigoted and nefarious forces, history educator Matt Henderson writes.

If you have an eight-year-old child right now, she will be 30 in 2040. What kind of a world will she live in as an adult? According to the international community, one that will see the catastrophic results of our short-sightedness, our greed, and political cowardice unless we do something now.

We have an opportunity in Manitoba to refocus our efforts on developing citizens who have the critical analysis, historical thinking and media literacy skills to combat the vile forces of extreme nationalism, fascism and contempt.