More predictions for a Post-Corona World

This article is inspired by Emma Rose Bienvenu’s article 7 Predictions for a Post-Coronavirus World Futurism is a discussion that thrives on openness, diversity, inspiration, and productive dissent. Let’s discuss this. As much as we feel that Covid-19 is a life-changing experience, the world we grew up in still exists and works. The recent developments may not be permanent. A data point does not make a trend. You need at least two. But in turbulent times, even this may not…

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Who should you blame for Covid-19?

Blame flows freely when things get out of hand, people die, and economies collapse. We cannot blame a virus. So blame shifts to individuals, authorities, and institutions all the way up to the UN and EU. Blame is attributed to not preparing, not communicating, not acting, or doing it too late and insufficiently. I think we need to look at this differentiated and would like to suggest that we distinguish between politics and administrations as well as systems and individuals.…

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Is the Balkanisation of democracies a consequence of increasing individuality?

Catalan just failed in its attempt to secede from Spain. Many other territories, even in the EU are at risk. In all cases, groups of people want more autonomy or establish an independent country. There are at least two different drivers: Wrong borders. Borders that were drawn by (colonial) powers irrespective of ethnic realities that force people to live together that were not meant to live together. The most prominent case that gave this development a name is the Balkan. Today…

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ESPAS publishes survey on foresight in governments

ESPAS publishes survey on foresight in governments The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) has published initial findings from a survey of foresight activities across 22 countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Russia, Sweden and US. The authors highlight their findings in a short report that looks at how foresight programmes are structured, and how they are integrated with policy-making. After a brief, historical survey of contemporary foresight, the study explores how different countries approach foresight. They find that developing countries are more likely to produce “centralised planning documents linked to a vision…

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