Eleonora Barbieri Masini

Dr. Eleonora Barbieri Masini led a fascinating life and greatly contributed to Futures Studies and futures scholars. She passed away June 28th, 2022. She was 93, born in Los Amates (Guatemala), on November 19, 1928. Dr. Eleonora Barbieri Masini was “in the right place at the right time” in the creation and development of futures studies. She was a deeply ethical and human person, whose honest and tenacious attitude facilitated international institutions (in particular the World Futures Studies Federation), opening the way to intercultural studies, futures studies and human ecology. A tireless traveler and personal friend of the leading futures researchers from around the world, Eleonora had great influence on the training of futures researchers in various regions of the world. Dr. Masini was positive, studious, respectful of differences, conciliatory, and a builder of alternative futures — she was the soul of futures studies. Eleonora made a significant contribution to this field. Facing the mainstream of futures studies in the 1970s, which favored a techno-economic approach, Eleonora emphasized aspects such as human and social foresight. Her work focused on the visions of the future; the development of capacities and values that emerge when addressing qualitative, human and social issues; challenged futures studies to rethink and highlight the role of women, family, ethics, culture, equity and the environment. Eleonora’s purpose was to recognize the many visions of diverse futures: giving voice to those who do not conventionally participate in futures initiatives  (women and children). She sought interconnection and dialogue through resolving conflicts and …

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Books in German

German Language Futures Books Bergheim, Stefan (2020): Zukünfte – Offen für Vielfalt. Frankfurt: ZGF Verlag. Maahs, Ina-Maria (2019): Utopie und Politik. Potenziale kreativer Politikgestaltung. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag Colombo, Silvia; Göll, Edgar; Soler i Lecha, Eduard (2019): Imagining Future(s) for the Middle East and North Africa. MENARA Final Reports No. 2. Download: https://www.iai.it/sites/default/files/menara_fr_2.pdf Radkau, Joachim (2017): Geschichte der Zukunft. Prognosen, Visionen, Irrungen in Deutschland von 1945 bis heute. München: Carl Hanser Verlag Amberger, Alexander; Möbius, Thomas (Hrsg.) (2017): Auf Utopias Suren. Utopie und Utopieforschung. Heidelberg: Springer VS Seefried, Elke (2015): Zukünfte. Aufstieg und Krise der Zukunftsforschung 1945-1980. Berlin: de Gruyter Oldenbourg Gerhold, Lars et al. (Hrsg.) (2017): Standards und Gütekriterien der Zukunftsforschung. Ein Pocketguide für Praktiker und Studierende. Berlin: Freie Universität. Download: http://edocs.fu-berlin.de/docs/receive/FUDOCS_document_000000027224 Popp, Reinhold; Nele Fischer; Maria Heiskanen-Schüttler; Jana Holz; André Uhl (Hrsg.) (2016): Einblicke, Ausblicke, Weitblicke – Aktuelle Perspektiven in der Zukunftsforschung. Berlin et al.: LIT Verlag Gerhold, Lars et al. (Hrsg.) (2015): Standards und Gütekriterien der Zukunftsforschung. Ein Handbuch für Wissenschaft und Praxis. Wiesbaden: Springer VS (Band 4 Zukunft und Forschung), Behrendt, Siegfried; Scharp, Michael; Zieschank, Roland; van Nouhuys, Jan (2015): Horizon Scanning und Trendmonitoring als ein Instrument in der Umweltpolitik zur strategischen Früherkennung und effizienten Politikberatung. Konzeptstudie. Hg. v. Umweltbundesamt. Dessau Popp, Reinhold; Zweck, Axel (Hrsg.) (2013): Zukunftsforschung im Praxistest. Wiesbaden: Springer VS Haderlapp, Thomas; Trattnigg, Rita (2013): Zukunftsfähigkeit ist eine Frage der Kultur. Hemmnisse, Widersprüche und Gelingensfaktoren des kulturellen Wandels. München: oekom Verlag Göll, Edgar (2012): Future Studies and Research in Egypt – Overview, Examples, Perspectives. …

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Deceased members

AZAM, Ikram, Pakistan BARBIERI MASINI, Eleonora, Italy BELL, Wendell, USA BESTUZHEV- LADA, Igor, Russia BURKE, Robert, Australia ELMANDJRA, Mahdi, Mororcco GALTUNG, Johan, Norway GHABBOUR, Samir, Egypt HENDERSON, Hazel, USA JARVA, Vuokko, Finland KALAS KOSZEGI, Maria, Hungary KAPPETER, István, Hungary KATO, Hidetoshi, JAPAN LACROIX, Dominique, France MALASKA, Pentti, Finland MALITZA, Mircea, Romania MANNERMAA, Mika, Finland METTLER, Peter H., Germany RHISIART, Martin, UK RUBIN, Anita, Finland STEVENSON, Tony, Australia TAUB Lawrence, Israel TRATTNER Egon, Israel TUNALI Sevinç, Turkey

22nd WFSF World Conference: June 7-10, 2017

Hardanger

HUMANKIND 2050: Peace * Development * Environment Jondal, Norway The World Futures Studies Federation invites you to the 22nd WFSF World Conference in 2017 in Jondal, Hardanger, Norway (Airport Bergen). As WFSF President, Dr Jennifer Gidley says: “There has never been a time more important to focus on the futures of humankind than right now, when our very survival is at stake.” Why Norway? In 1967 Robert Jungk, Johan Galtung and friends held the Mankind 2000 Meeting in Oslo, Norway. One of the outcomes was the founding of the World Futures Studies Federation (WFSF) in Paris, 1973. WFSF is a UNESCO and UN ECOSOC Consultative Partner with members in 60 countries. At the 21st WFSF conference in 2013 we decided to celebrate 50 years since Oslo 1967 with the theme: Humankind 2050. The 2017 Conference will be hosted by Hardanger Academy for Peace Development Environment. Jondal is near the magnificent Hardanger Fjord. WFSF and Hardanger Academy invite everyone committed to carrying our human history into wiser futures in economic, educational, political, scientific and socio-cultural areas; from global, national and local perspectives. Individuals and organisations working in future studies and related themes are all welcome. For a discussion paper to provoke thinking prior to the conference follow this link. When? June 7-9 Conference June 10 General Assembly & (Optional) Post-Conference Activities Where? The conference site is the Hardanger Academy, Jondal. It has accommodation (bed and meals) for 80 on a first come, first serve basis – but Jondal has more facilities within walking …

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LEALA 2014-2015

With the support of the UNESCO PARTICIPATION PROGRAMME 2014-2015 WFSF received support under UNESCO Participation Program 2014-2015 to extend our World Futures Learning Lab into a second stage. The projects for the second stage included projects in Mexico, Haiti and the Philippines. A second stage was also developed for the DR Congo Project. The 2014-2015 Pilot Programmes – Haiti The Haiti project was developed by Patrick Corsi who is a designer of innovation strategies with in-depth experience with innovation in the Caribbean. From 2000 untill 2012 he was Associate Professor ISTIA Innovation at the Institut Des Sciences et des Techniques de l’Ingénieur (ISTIA), d’Angers France. Corsi proposes an active educational activity in Haïti, among the world’s poorest countries, stricken by natural disaster with the earthquakes of 2010. This course introduced foresight/futures studies methods with approaches and materials adapted to connect into regional realities and intensive design-practice based workshops using concrete cases of local interest and value.The Haiti workshop addressed a clearly pre-defined and specific subject area: distance learning for university education in Haiti. All of the activities, exercises, discussions and activities were geared at formulating proposals for projects, designs and breakthroughs in this area. The design-based approach of the workshop comes from CK theory (Corsi) and relies on clearly outlined phases and steps to build innovative ideas/designs/proposals for things that matter. For full details and the final report please follow this link. Mexico The Mexican activity was developed by WFSF Executive Board member & WFSF Vice-President for the Iberam Region, …

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LEALA 2012-2103

1.egypt Cairo camels-normal

With the support of the UNESCO PARTICIPATION PROGRAMME 2012-2013 The WFSF is setting up online learning infrastructures and procedures to run three pilot courses that will twine local face-to-face education with online learning of futures studies and foresight. Pilot courses take place in three separate locations: Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo; Cairo, Egypt, Penang, Malaysia. The project is directed to a diverse global audience, focusing especially on the needs of Africa, youth and developing countries. It will enable 60-90 young adults to become advocates of foresight with potential to influence others within their local communities. LEALA is also intended to increase the ability of WFSF community members to offer glocal courses. The project pays specific attention to the challenges of including in developing regions. The three pilot courses and locations are very diverse and this makes them suitable pilots for the novel educational program being attempted. Pilot coordinators develop and define the local programme according to local needs and can to this end use the instruments offered in the context of LEALA. The main aim is to develop new approaches to providing tailored futures education in a variety of circumstances and environments. The project offers concrete experiment and experience and insight into the challenges of blended learning and of learning foresight. These may be expected to be usefull in evidence-based policy dialogues. LEALA interprets futures understanding and practice as essential life skills and works on access to education for acquiring these skills (in line with UNESCO’s Education for All goals …

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Turku Pre-Conference 10 June 2015

Futures Studies Tackling Wicked Problems. Pre-Conference Seminar – The 1st International Eleonora Barbieri Masini Seminar – Women and Futures This information is for our International pre-conference participants. Book your international travel to arrive and depart at Stockholm. Travel arrangements from Stockholm to Turku, and return, are booked and paid for with the Pre-Conference registration and fees. Registration for this event must be made on a separate form no later than 15 April 2015. Follow this link to register here. Payment must be made in Euros, directly to WFSF, using the “Donation” button not later than 3 May 2015 You will need a valid passport (or ID card if you are a Nordic citizen) to board the ship. Pre-Conference participants from Finnland must make their own travel reservation directly with Viking Lines. Tuesday 9 June 2015 – Overnight Stockholm • You will need a place to stay in Stockholm the night prior to the Pre-conference as we must be at the ferry terminal by 07:15 on the morning of departure. • Payments and bookings for your overnight stay in Stockholm are to be made by you, directly with the hotel. • Accommodation costs will depend upon the standard you require. • Book as soon as possible and find something central. M/S Grace departs from Stadsgården, which is very close to the city centre. • Make sure there is an underground station or bus stop near your accommodation for getting to M/S Grace terminal – Stadsgården. The closest underground station to the …

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Mexico

The Mexico learning lab was developed and implemented by WFSF Vice-President for the Iberam Region, Ph.D. Guillermina Baena Paz and the young futurist Alethia Berenice Montero. The project was set up in a partnership with the Direction Ejecutiva de Trabajo del System Penitenciario del Distrito Federal in Mexico City. Nine women held in prison and likely to return to their communities the following year, participated in the project. The women participated in 50 hours of workshops from March till June 2015. The approach chosen for this workshop was “Teatro del devinir” or “Forward theatre”, a performative futures strand. Alethia studied psychology and works as an artist and futurist in the domain of “Forward Theater”, working with performative futures. She is currently studying a Masters in Humanist Body Psychotherapy. She works as a Psychofuturartist and has developed the Psychoprospective Theory along with the Colombian psychologist Martha Jaramillo. She is the pioneer of Forward Theatre in Latin America, and a member of the WFSF Youth Council. Photo: Alethia Berenice Montero, Mexico, speaking at the 21st WFSF World Conference, Bucharest. © 2013 Bram Goots with permission. The objective of the learning lab was to equip the women about to be released into society with tools for reintegration and to prepare them for the challenging future possibilities they might have to deal with upon their return to their communities. This way the course sought to add a self transformative model to the traditional social reintegration model. The learning lab focused exclusively on personal futures but also included some …

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DR Congo 2015

WFSF-UNESCO

Follow Up – 2015 Congo Fellowship In 2015, one year after the completion of the pilot programme, fitfteen individual artists based in Lubumbashi participated in MAONO, the development education project to which the 2012-2013 LEALA local project was connected. The  images of the future produced over the course of the three year project, were presented at an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art of Antwerp. The participating students’ were offered an opportunity to provide additional material to be included in the overview. The artists were asked to provide updates of the work they had created. To build on the efforts of the previous years, one artisit participant was selected for the LEALA fellowship. Jean Katambayi, was the beneficiary of this fellowship which helped him to further develop the work he had produced with the LEALA students in Lubumbashi. Jean Katambayi was present at the opening of the exhibition in May 2015. He was accompanied by the two Agence Future volunteers based in Belgium who ran the LEALA project of the previous biennium. The artist had the opportunity to further develop his future related work and share it with arts-minded audiences in Belgium in formal workshops and presentations as well as a range of informal meetings. During his three-week stay in Belgium Jean also worked on a new piece related to the history of mining in the DRC. This piece, called Sol-Sur-Sol, emphasizes how layer upon layer of factors and facts from the past and the present, provide a tiered …

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