World Future Society Frequently Asked Questions

ABOUT THE SOCIETY

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PUBLICATIONS
Futurist
World Future Review
Futurist Update

MEETINGS
2010 Boston

BOOKSHELF
WFS Books & Reports

FORECASTS

PRESS ROOM

CHAPTERS

SPECIAL FEATURES
Futurist Interviews
Web Forums

CONSULTANTS

What Is the World Future Society?
The World Future Society is a nonprofit, nonpartisan scientific and educational association of people interested in how social and technological developments are shaping the future. The Society was founded in 1966 and is chartered as a nonprofit educational and scientific organization in Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Here you can read a brief history of the World Future Society written by its founder, Edward Cornish, to commemorate our 40th Anniversary.

Why Study the Future?
The world changes so quickly it's hard to keep up. New inventions and innovations alter the way we live. People's values, attitudes, and beliefs are changing. And the pace of change keeps accelerating, making it difficult to prepare for tomorrow. By studying the future, people can better anticipate what lies ahead. More importantly, they can actively decide how they will live in the future, by making choices today and realizing the consequences of their decisions. The future doesn't just happen: People create it through their action -- or inaction -- today.

 Learn more about the fundamentals of foresight here and receive a free ten lesson guide from Society President Tim Mack via email.

What Can We Know about the Future?
No one knows exactly what will happen in the future. But by considering what might happen, people can more rationally decide on the sort of future that would be most desirable and then work to achieve it.

Opportunity as well as danger lies ahead, so people need to make farsighted decisions. The process of change is inevitable; it's up to everyone to make sure that the change is constructive.

Each year since 1985, the editors of THE FUTURIST magazine, published by the World Future Society have selected the most thought-provoking ideas and forecasts appearing in the magazine to go into our annual Outlook report. Over the years, Outlook has spotlighted the emergence of such epochal developments as the Internet, virtual reality, and the end of the Cold War.

You can read all the forecasts from Outlook 2006, Outlook 2007, and Outlook 2008 for free here. Outlook 2009 is yours free when you join the World Future Society today. Outlook 2010 will appear in the November-December issue of THE FUTURIST. 

What Does the Society Do?
The Society strives to serve as a neutral clearinghouse for ideas about the future. These ideas, forecasts, and scenarios help people to anticipate what may happen in the next 5, 10, or more years ahead. When people can visualize a better future they can begin to create it.

Who belongs to the Society?
Membership is open to anyone who would like to know more about what the future will hold.  Members come from all walks of life and from more than 80 countries--Argentina to Zimbabwe. They include sociologists, scientists, corporate planners, educators, students, artists, and retirees. They are thinking people who seek a better future for themselves and society.

Does the Society Have Local Chapters?
local chapters give members a chance to meet other forward-looking people and to discuss various topics of the future. We also have groups on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

How Much Does It Cost to Join the Society?
Dues for membership in the World Future Society are $59 per year (in U.S. currency or its equivalent in other currency). Dues are the same throughout the world. Full-time students under age 25 may also join at a discounted rate of $20 per year. The World Future Society is a nonprofit.

What Do Members Receive?
All World Future Society members receive:

  • The Futurist, our main bimonthly publication.
  • FutureTimes, an online resource for Society members
  • Futurist Update, a monthly e-mail newsletter filled with late-breaking stories on important trends and ideas, plus news and announcements from the Society.
  • Discounts on conference registration fees and on books published by the Society.
  • Outlook. An annual report offering members selected forecasts that can help them anticipate events of the future.
  • Invitations to our Conferences.
  • Special New-Member Benefits. In addition to regular member benefits, new World Future Society members will receive the a set of the latest special reports, such as "Future Careers" and "53 Trend's Now Shaping the Future." New members also receive "The Art of Forecasting," a four-page guide on how to study the future. For more information.

Professional Members of the Society receive:

  • All of the above, plus:
  • World Future Review, a journal of strategic foresight
  • Invitations to Professional Members' Forums, held each year just following the annual conference

For more information on membership and to join now.

From Marcus Aurelius to Margaret Mead, great thinkers inspire futurists to build a better tomorrow. Film by Cynthia Wagner

DIRECTORS
Arnold Brown
, Weiner, Edrich, Brown, Inc.
Marvin J. Cetron, president, Forecasting International Ltd.
Edward Cornish, founder and former president of the World Future Society
Hugues de Jouvenel,
executive director, Association Internationale Futuribles, Paris, France
Esther Franklin, executive vice president and director of cultural identities, Starcom Media Vest Group
John Gottsman, president, The Clarity Group
Kenneth W. Harris, chairman, The Consilience Group, LLC
Kenneth W. Hunter, senior fellow, Maryland China Initiative, University of Maryland
Nat Irvin II, professor of management, University of Louisville
Jay McIntosh, (chairman) president, Consumer Foresight LLC
Mylena Pierremont, president, Ming Pai Consulting BV

GLOBAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Stephen Aguilar-Millan,
director of research, European Futures Observatory
Raja Ikram Azam,
director, Pakistan Futuristics Foundation
Raj Bawa, (chairman) president, Bawa Biotechnology Consulting, and adjunct associate professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Adolfo Castilla, economist and communications professor
Yehezkel Dror, professor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
William E. Halal, professor of management science, The George Washington University
Peter Hayward, program director, Strategic Foresight Program, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia
Barbara Marx Hubbard, president, The Foundation for Conscious Evolution
Sohail Inayatullah, professor, Tamkang University, Taiwan
Eleonora Barbieri Masini,
chair, executive council, World Futures Studies Federation, Rome, Italy
Graham May, senior lecturer, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, United Kingdom
Michael Michaelis, president, Partners In Enterprise, Inc.
Julio Millán, president, Banco de Tecnologias S.A. de C.V. in Mexico City
Joergen Oerstroem Moeller,
visiting senior research fellow, ISEAS, Singapore
John Naisbitt,
trend analyst and author
Burt Nanus, author and professor emeritus of management, University of Southern California
John L. Petersen, president, The Arlington Institute
Sandra L. Postel, director, Global Water Policy Project
Robert Salmon, former vice president, L'Oreal Corporation, Paris
Maurice F. Strong, secretary general, U.N. Conference on Environment and Development
Alvin Toffler, author
Heidi Toffler
, author

OFFICERS
Timothy C. Mack,
president
Susan Echard,
vice president membership, conference operations
Kenneth W. Hunter,
treasurer
Kenneth W. Harris, secretary

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