In this event, Millennium Project CEO Jerome C Glenn will

• Highlight key findings from the recently published 2013-14 State of the Future report
• Introduce the ground-breaking online Global Futures Intelligence System
• Re-launch the UK node of The Millennium Project
• Explain ways in which attendees can become more directly involved in the work of The Millennium Project
• Provide updates on what The Millennium Project lists as “The 15 global challenges facing humanity” – describing where progress is being made, but also where ground is being lost.

About the State of the Future:

The publication “2013-14 State of the Future” by the Millennium Project has been described as follows:

• “The most influential annual report on what we know about the future of humanity”
  – Paul Werbos, National Science Foundation
• “Global intelligence on the future of the world in the palm of your hand”
  – KurzweilAI News
• “A must read for any decision maker with a long-term vision”
  – Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico
• “The 15 Global Challenges in the State of the Future should be read by all leaders”
  – Eduardo Frei, Former President of Chile
• “The SOF report continues, year after year, to be the best introduction – by far – to a broad range of major global issues and long-term remedies.”
  – Michael Marien, Global Foresight Books

 

From the Foreword to the State of the Future

The purpose of futures research is to systematically explore, create, and test both possible and desirable futures in order to improve decisions. Just as the person on top of the mast on old sailing ships used to point out the rocks and safe channels to the captain below for the smooth running of the ship through uncharted waters, so too futurists with foresight systems for the world can point out problems and opportunities to leaders around the world.

The 2013–14 State of the Future is the most extraordinarily rich distillation and integration of data, information, and intelligence about the future that The Millennium Project has ever produced. This is the seventeenth edition. It has benefited from the feedback received year after year and from integrating new insights and research.

The State of the Future is for thought leaders, decision-makers, and all those who care about the world and its future. Attendees will learn how their interests fit into the global situation and how the global situation may affect them and their interests.

The world is increasingly engaged in many diverse conversations about the right way to relate to the environment and our fellow humans and about what technologies, economics, and laws are right for our common future. Humanity is slowly but surely becoming aware of itself as an integrated system of cultures, economies, technologies, natural and built environments, and governance systems.

These great conversations will be better informed if we realize that the world is improving better than most pessimists know and that future dangers are worse than most optimists indicate. Better ideas, new tech, and creative management approaches are popping up all over the world, but the lack of imagination and courage to make serious change is drowning the innovations needed to make the world work for all.

Meeting logistics:

The venue will be in Central London and will be confirmed shortly.

To cover room hire costs, attendees are asked to pay an entrance fee of £5 in advance of the meeting.

Journalists can attend this launch event free-of-charge by prior arrangement with the organisers.

About The Millennium Project:

 

The Millennium Project connects futurists around the world to improve global foresight. It was founded in 1996 after a three-year feasibility study with the United Nations University (UNU), Smithsonian Institution, Futures Group International, and the American Council for the UNU. It is now an independent non-profit global participatory futures research think tank of futurists, scholars, business planners, and policy makers who work for international organizations, governments, corporations, NGOs, and universities.

The Millennium Project manages a coherent and cumulative process that collects and assesses judgements from over 3,500 people since the beginning of the project selected by its 50 Nodes around the world. The work is distilled in its annual “State of the Future”, “Futures Research Methodology” series, special studies, and integrated into this Global Futures Intelligence System.

About Jerome C. Glenn

Jerome C. Glenn is the co-founder (1996) and director of The Millennium Project, and co-author with Ted Gordon of the annual State of the Future of the Millennium Project for the past twelve years. He was the Washington, DC representative for the United Nations University as executive director of the American Council for the UNU 1988-2007.

 

Jerome has over 35 years of Futures Research experience working for governments, international organizations, and private industry in Science & Technology Policy, Environmental Security, Economics, Education, Defense, Space, Futures Research Methodology, International Telecommunications, and Decision Support Systems with the Committee for the Future, Hudson Institute, Future Options Room, and the Millennium Project. He has addressed or keynoted conferences for over 300 government departments, universities, NGOs, UN organizations, and/or corporations around the world on a variety of future-oriented topics.

The UK node of The Millennium Project

The meeting will include an introduction by Rohit Talwar, Global Futurist and CEO of Fast Future, who is the newly appointed chair of the UK node of The Millennium Project UK.

For more information, see:

The Millennium Project www.millennium-project.org
Global Futures Intelligence System https://themp.org/
2013-14 State of the Future http://millennium-project.org/millennium/201314SOF.html