Launch of the State of the Future Report 2012
What do we need to know to build a better future? Are we going to be around 50 years from now? What can we do to live as part of a planet and in harmony in the future instead of destroying it and what do we need to know to achieve that? The SA Node of the Millennium Project releases the 2012 State of the Future report – the annual “Report Card on the World.”
Pretoria, October 22, 2012 Whether we ask questions about our own future or that of humanity or are concerned with decisions that will affect the country or large groups of people, we live in a time of great uncertainty and the answers to such questions are not easily found.
“The world is improving better than most pessimists know, but future dangers are worse than most optimists indicate.” - The 2012 State of the Future Report
Scanning Workshop JHB 2012
August 2012
The South African Node of the Millennium Project recently hosted a horizon scanning workshop for a group of researchers and policy makers. Horizon or Environmental Scanning is the art of systematically exploring the external environment to better understand the nature and pace of change in that environment, and to identify potential opportunities, challenges, and likely future developments relevant to an organisation. Horizon Scanning explores both new, strange, and weird ideas, as well as persistent challenges and trends today. Scanning the environment is the feedstock for strategic thinking, innovation, risk and issues management.
The workshop, held over two days, was sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation which has an interest in building scanning capacity in the region as part of its Searchlight Function. SAMP Node director Tanja Hichert took the group of 13 people on the scan experience of their lives when she explained how to systematically approach the unfolding future and identify the driving forces (trends) shaping the future. Hichert also spent time on conveying the theory of horizon scanning, whilst sharing some of the methods and other practicalities with the attendants.
The two-day workshop was held on the 16 and 17 August 2012 at the Protea Hotel Balalaika in Sandton.
View the picture gallery of the event.
Gauteng launch invitation of the State of the Future Report 2012
August 2012
It is here!
The State of the Future Report for 2012 has arrived!
It is our pleasure to invite you to the Launch of the 16th Anniversary edition of the State of the Future Report, produced by the Millennium Project, a global think tank of which the SA Node is one of 46 nodes worldwide.
The South Africa Node of the Millennium Project together with the Wits Graduate School of Public and Development Management are hosting the Launch of the 2012 State of the Future Report on the Wednesday, 29th August 2012.
Venue: Wits Graduate School of P&DM, #2 St David's Place, Parktown, Johannesburg
Time: 15h00-17h30
RSVP by Thursday 23 August to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Catalysts for Change Workshop
April 2012
A workshop with a difference. On Friday 13 April 2012, the SA Node of the Millennium Project, hosted by die Department of Science and Technology, introduced a group of role players to the Catalysts for Change toolkit. This toolkit was developed by the Rockefeller Foundation in association with their Searchlight Foundation to find paths out of poverty.
Lead by Dr. Bob Day, the workshop was aimed at assessing the toolkit and participants chose issues that interest them from a special map, developed as part of this toolkit. By focusing on action zones and signals highlighted in the map, the toolkit then stimulates new ways of assessing the challenges – and developing inventive ways of addressing them.
While the idea was not to find solutions to the chosen problems, the interesting and new insights the participants arrived at, might just lead to further action. For more on the map and toolkit, visit www.catalyze4change.org.
View the picture gallery of the event.
