Transcript Slide 1

South Africa
Node Update
Presentation to MP-PC
July 2009, Chicago
reflections on 2008/9
Global:
• Global financial crisis
• Bio-physical realities: climate change and resource-based economies
• China & Africa?
• Regional politics
Local:
• Inequality, instability, and ethnocentrism: The challenge of the Second
Economy continues and peaks
• Urbanisation
• 2010 World Cup spotlight
• New political administration (emphasis on social development & delivery)
• National Planning Commission
• COFISA wrap-up and “foresight agency” initiative
• Presidency scenarios, Dinokeng scenarios
Node:
• SA-SOFI (ups & downs) – refine & update (HSRC partner)
• “FFWD” conceptualisation (Rockefeller support)
• SA - Global Millennium Prize pilot (COFISA support)
• Strategic alliances: Presidency, IERI, DST, Wits, IFR, AFI, regional
• 1st Strategy session
• Node central: admin & project staff, sort out website
•German intern – several other requests received!
“future” plans
Strategic objectives:
Projects:
• Create open platform – human
and virtual
• FIC: public sector capacity –
created futures, policy
connection, building the capacity
infrastructure (e.g. linked to NPC)
• Building profile of a mega-futures
tool / feedback loop (incl. SASOFI)
• Innovation: Looking into different
futures models – e.g. eastern and
indigenous approaches to futures
• FFWD (Foresight for
Development online)
establishment
• HSP (Horizon Scanning Project)
• GMP mainstream
• SA-SOFI linkage with
Presidency / NPC
How it all holds together?
SA-NODE:
•Leadership / oversight
•Admin & Fin
•Coordination / mgmt
•Repository function
“to galvanise and
mobilize southern
African experts and
networks for global
futures activity /
collaboration”
NETWORKS:
•SA Network (web-group)
•Regional networks (FFWD)
•MP Network (SOF)
•Expert groups (Delphis)
•Partnership (HSRC, IERI,
Wits, IFR, AFI, Presidency, ..)
EXPERTISE:
•Knowledge (FFWD)
•Information (Scanning)
•Tools & methods (SA-SOFI,
FRM)
•Analysis (BTM)
OUTREACH:
•GMP (GET phase)
•Universities challenge (M-level)
•Seminars & events…
•Publications
•Communication, Media stat
•Website
“to deepen expertise in
futures amongst
institutions and
individuals”
“spreading a culture of
futures thinking in the
region”
MP linkages…
Global MP:
Nodes:
• SOFI
• Building national futures capacity
• Dictionary and any other content
/ tools development towards
building local futures capacity
• Regional futures research
• Promoting of FRM v3.0 & State of
the Future
• …
• FFWD: Nodes in / dealing with
Africa, other developing nations /
regions (Africa, SEA, South
America)
• Promote African Nodes &
linkages
• GMP (Mexico & other Nodes with
experience to share)
• BRIC(s)
• …