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.
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