2121: A Global Futures Forum

Welcome to the Future:

Good Morning. Let me introduce myself and make a few introductory words of welcome. I'm Jane Shelton, business analyst and CFO for The Horizons Network and the convenor for this event at the Global Strategy Centre of Monash Mt Eliza Business College.

Thanks for joining us for today's and hopefully the next century's exploratory tour. We can make a difference if we agree to travel together.

The Horizons Network, appreciates your special efforts to be here and welcomes your contribution to a dialogue about our common future. We also thank the college for its support in making the venue available.

As we have explained to many of you by phone, this is to be a dialogue/discussion with no preset speeches or agendas. No media reports. Just the people here.

What do we expect to get out of it?

1. A meeting of minds concerned about our future.
2. New ideas and experiences beyond our conventional lifetimes
3. An extended network of shared values and vision.

How will it work?

In your kit of information you will find our initial proposed program outline. It's a starting point not a destination.

Forming

The first step will be to find, meet and greet someone from the other end of the universe. Each person has a number on their card. In the first stage we will need to find someone at the other end of the universe and "have a chat". Please find the "other end of the string" by subtracting your number from 61. (if you are 3. The "other end" is 58)

Norming

We have 60 participants and 12 facilitators. The number 61 is simply the prime number of participants plus one. This is not the magical part. When the "61's get together please introduce yourselves and discuss your ideas of a preferred and desired world of 2121.

Storming

As an "icebreaker" you may wish to share your views of the 5 elements of the Asia Pacific 2000 People's Agenda or the response to the 2010 youth views from the ASTEC Insight forums. When you have begun to crystallise your view of the future, we will get together on the 12 tables to share our views, proposals and aspirations.

The table facilitators, whom I will introduce now, will aim to ensure everyone has a fair chance to have a say and be heard, starting with the youngest on each table.

Management

Graeme Pocknee

Shared Values

David Robinson

Structures

Clive Mottram

Stakeholders

Linda Van Niekerk

Staffing

Caryl Macleod

Skills

Chris O'Connell

Strategy

Marie Dumais

Suggestions

Michael Roux

Solutions

John Hancock

Systems

John Deviny

Shared Vision

Sally Rundle

Leadership

Dr. John Price

Reforming

Please keep your own notes, comments etc and if you want them retained in a collective memory bank, give them to your facilitator. We can agree later on other outcomes. We will ask facilitator's to summarise key discussion points without referring to individuals comments. We will print any personal comments in a later summary if this desired.

Young People's perspective

We are very pleased that so many younger people were able to join us. We want to start with those with the greatest influence on the next century's life and lifestyles. Donna Benjamin will act as a contact point for the spaced out, internet generation. If you have any queries or requirements, please find Donna.

The Tables

You have each been "posted" to one of the tables. Wherever possible you are seated at the table of your preference. Each table has one of the 12 points of the icosa star as a starting point for the whole room examining our preferred and desired "2121".

To get things started we would like you to draw/explore (on your table tops) alternative issues/images/ideas for reaching 2121. What is your table's path to the future? Each table has paper and crayons. We will then create our "futurescape" environment by placing them around the walls.

Please feel free to visit other tables during the day and use breaks to meet new faces and explore new futures.

We would like you to focus some of your thoughts on the key elements of the 2nd Habitat Conference to be held in Istanbul in June this year.

Thanks again for coming. I'm excited, and a bit anxious, to get started on our journey into the Global 2121 world.

I will now ask Colin Benjamin as CEO of The Horizons Network to open proceedings with his team of facilitators. Thank you Colin.

By the way, if you get impossibly lost, totally confused or just need anything, please talk to me, Donna or one of the facilitators.