Follow the long and winding road of progress

Get global journalism that monitors the path forward [The Christian Science Monitor] [Mark Sappenfield]( Mark Sappenfield Editor [[twitter] @sappenfieldm]( Dear reader, Progress can be a loaded word. One dictionary definition tries to walk an impartial line: “advance or development toward a better, more complete, or more modern condition.” But even there, the opportunity for opinion lurks. Who decides what’s “better”? In other words, progress according to whom? It’s a natural question. And in some cases, it’s not too hard to answer. The Monitor’s “Points of Progress” franchise aims to look at those places where progress is pretty broadly accepted from any perspective. But there is a different kind of progress story, too. It delves into the kind of progress that is harder to measure yet defines why the Monitor is unique: the story of mental progress. The fact is, any story about a program or policy will inevitably involve controversy. No human project can be perfect. There are always side effects, consequences, or failures. But in charting the evolving patterns of thinking behind a program, you get a truer gauge of progress. After all, nothing changes until the thought behind it changes. Programs and policies accomplish the most good when they upend the most ingrained and limited modes of thinking. From [forest conservation in Africa]( to [gender equality education in Iceland,]( they are mental rebellions against the idea that people are too flawed or situations are too hopeless. How those protests take shape as solutions is for each country and community to decide. But this deeper mental impetus is the very essence of progress, and it is what the Monitor is scouring the globe to find every day. Progress is never really about taking sides. It is about recognizing where humans are pushing to expand a sense of justice or compassion or hope. That path might not always be straight, but it is reliably upward. I invite you to join us in tracking humanity’s progress with a subscription to the Monitor Daily. You’ll get a curated package of constructive journalism to your inbox each weekday night, along with unlimited access to CSMonitor.com. [Subscribe to learn how the world makes progress]( Mark Sappenfield Editor, The Christian Science Monitor P.S. Have you used the Daily to monitor progress around the globe? We’d like to hear about it. You can respond to this note or email us at [daily@csmonitor.com.](mailto:daily@csmonitor.com?subject=) --------------------------------------------------------------- © The Christian Science Monitor. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent because you opted-in to receive announcements from The Christian Science Monitor. This email was sent by: The First Church of Christ, Scientist 210 Massachusetts Ave Boston, MA, 02115-3195, US © 2018 The Christian Science Publishing Society [Postings and Submissions of Content]( [Privacy]( [Unsubscribe]( [Update Profile]( [Email Preference Center](