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:
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.
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.
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
