Most futures bibliographies tend to overemphasize US sources, since the USA has tended to dominat... more Most futures bibliographies tend to overemphasize US sources, since the USA has tended to dominate the field for some time. The largest futures organization (the World Future Society) is based there. There are more futures institutes, researchers, scholars, consultants, SF writers and so on working in the USA than in most other countries combined. Those wishing to access the resulting literature will find the monthly Future Survey or the Future Survey Annual invaluable. However, a great deal of good work is produced in other places. Hence, for this special issue, it was decided to look further afield. The following references have been written by Kjell Dahle,
What futurists think organizations and communities have the opportunity to produce what they can,... more What futurists think organizations and communities have the opportunity to produce what they can, relying less on transnational corporations to achieve economies of scale. Efficiency is not more important than participation. My visions encounter grim news on the World Trade Organization (WTO) front. There, at the beck and call of multinational corporations, powerful nations are forcing less powerful countries to sign agreements in intellectual property rights so the latter's export crops are protected. In sum, I see futures as multicultural, as full of potential if people are willing to work in incremental ways, not to dismiss the future as subject to a one power system. Publishing in the Pacific Islands, about the Pacific Islands, is a way to advertise the realities, the benefits and the needs of small communities. The possibilities lead us publishers into interesting futures.
This special issue of Futures is filled with good examples of initiatives that each in their own ... more This special issue of Futures is filled with good examples of initiatives that each in their own way take part in shaping our common future. Authors from different parts of the world document that the initiatives make a difference within their own realm. The question raised here is how and to what extent such transformative efforts can contribute to transforming the world at macro level, bringing us closer to a sustainable society. Based on the flora of literature about sustainable development, five different answers are presented in the form of five alternative pathways. The goal should not be to reach consensus on which strategy is best, but rather to have as many people as possible marching together in the same direction under different banners. Individuals who see no pathway leading to their goal tend to resign. The combined efforts of people with common goals but different strategies may produce the necessary dynamics to meet the needs of future generations.
In 1987, the UN World Commission on Environment and Development—perhaps better known as the Brund... more In 1987, the UN World Commission on Environment and Development—perhaps better known as the Brundtland Commission—concluded that our present societal course is irresponsible toward future generations. Ten years later, we have hardly come closer to a solution of our planet's long-range problems. But how do we change the course? Are there viable pathways that can take us from the present stalemate to a society that cares for future generations? The bottleneck is not a lack of good proposals for approaching sustainability. It is rather the lack of strength to implement them. Discussions about strategies and motors of social change have very often been absent on the `green' agenda, but exceptions do exist. This article will present and analyse main strategic profiles within an expanding flora of literature about sustainability.
Most futures bibliographies tend to overemphasize US sources, since the USA has tended to dominat... more Most futures bibliographies tend to overemphasize US sources, since the USA has tended to dominate the field for some time. The largest futures organization (the World Future Society) is based there. There are more futures institutes, researchers, scholars, consultants, SF writers and so on working in the USA than in most other countries combined. Those wishing to access the resulting literature will find the monthly Future Survey or the Future Survey Annual invaluable. However, a great deal of good work is produced in other places. Hence, for this special issue, it was decided to look further afield. The following references have been written by Kjell Dahle,
What futurists think organizations and communities have the opportunity to produce what they can,... more What futurists think organizations and communities have the opportunity to produce what they can, relying less on transnational corporations to achieve economies of scale. Efficiency is not more important than participation. My visions encounter grim news on the World Trade Organization (WTO) front. There, at the beck and call of multinational corporations, powerful nations are forcing less powerful countries to sign agreements in intellectual property rights so the latter's export crops are protected. In sum, I see futures as multicultural, as full of potential if people are willing to work in incremental ways, not to dismiss the future as subject to a one power system. Publishing in the Pacific Islands, about the Pacific Islands, is a way to advertise the realities, the benefits and the needs of small communities. The possibilities lead us publishers into interesting futures.
This special issue of Futures is filled with good examples of initiatives that each in their own ... more This special issue of Futures is filled with good examples of initiatives that each in their own way take part in shaping our common future. Authors from different parts of the world document that the initiatives make a difference within their own realm. The question raised here is how and to what extent such transformative efforts can contribute to transforming the world at macro level, bringing us closer to a sustainable society. Based on the flora of literature about sustainable development, five different answers are presented in the form of five alternative pathways. The goal should not be to reach consensus on which strategy is best, but rather to have as many people as possible marching together in the same direction under different banners. Individuals who see no pathway leading to their goal tend to resign. The combined efforts of people with common goals but different strategies may produce the necessary dynamics to meet the needs of future generations.
In 1987, the UN World Commission on Environment and Development—perhaps better known as the Brund... more In 1987, the UN World Commission on Environment and Development—perhaps better known as the Brundtland Commission—concluded that our present societal course is irresponsible toward future generations. Ten years later, we have hardly come closer to a solution of our planet's long-range problems. But how do we change the course? Are there viable pathways that can take us from the present stalemate to a society that cares for future generations? The bottleneck is not a lack of good proposals for approaching sustainability. It is rather the lack of strength to implement them. Discussions about strategies and motors of social change have very often been absent on the `green' agenda, but exceptions do exist. This article will present and analyse main strategic profiles within an expanding flora of literature about sustainability.
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