Futures forum to help cities in preparing for climate change effects

By Shermon O. Cruz

On November 8, 2013, the Philippines was hit by typhoon Haiyan [local name Yolanda], one of the strongest tropical cyclones ever recorded, which devastated portions of Southeast Asia, and particularly the Philippines. This forum-workshop, set to start on May 21-24, 2014 in Laoag City aims to discuss, assess and explore the futures of Philippine cities in a post-Haiyan scenario using anticipatory thinking and strategic foresight methods.

As Philippine cities continue to struggle to fund existing crisis management systems and level-up in their adaptive capacities, cities have to find alternative ways of preparing and responding to mega disasters. Individuals, decision-makers and institutions might need to re-perceive or re-frame their narratives and ways of knowing the city (trade and commerce, industrialization, etc.) and the futures of cities. The metaphor that says “the bamboo that bends is better than the oak that resists” could be a guiding metaphor to generate new and long-term alternatives in transforming the futures of Philippine cities.

The forum-workshop aims to build the capacities of participants to use the future more effectively for decision making to transform Philippine cities in a climate change driven era. 

The focus of this forum-workshop is on enhancing participants’ capacity both to make sense of existing and emergent systems, of all kinds, that create social and economic value as well as to begin to identify the potential for the novel approaches that are necessary to achieve a transition to sustainable societies. It offers participants a learning-by-doing experience in “using the future differently.” 

The objective of this forum-workshop is neither to predict the future nor offer to find solutions, but to enhance the participants’ decision, strategy, and policy making capacities by enlarging their understanding of the anticipatory systems, including those that turn uncertainty into a resource, a way to grasp the otherwise invisible novelty generated by the profusion of experiments and creativity in the world around us.

Guest speakers and prominent futurists includes: Sohail Inayatullah, a world renowned political scientist and futurists and Professor of the Graduate Institute of Futures of Studies, Tamkang University, Taiwan and Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Sunshine Coast Australia; Dr. Virginia Miralao, Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines; Linda Tinio, Assistant Programme Coordinator of the UNESCO Foresight of the Social and Human Sciences; Mahar Lagmay, Executive Director of PROJECT NOAH; Shermon Cruz, Executive Director of the Center for Engaged Foresight; Dr. Hyun Ryul Park, Professor Emeritus and President of the International Heal Being Society, South Korea; Moncini Hinay, Project Director, World Wild Life Fund and Architect Felino Palafox, a prominent Filipino architect, urban planner and environmentalist to name a few.

The event is organized by the UNESCO Social and Human Sciences, the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, the Center for Engaged Foresight, the City Government of Laoag and Northwestern University in partnership with the Graduate Institute of Futures Studies, Tamkang University, the Hawaii Research Center of Futures Studies, University of Hawaii and the International Heal Being Society. SMART Philippines will be livestreaming the event for global audiences. Concept note and programme are available at UNESCO.org 

For more information, please contact Ms. Romelene Pacis at 0906-307-7366 or email engagedforesight@gmail.com.